There is no better way to bring people together than with desserts.

I cook mostly vegetarian vegetable and bean stews. Quinoa salads. I make my mother-in-law's recipe for chicken and barley stew all the time.

First and foremost, you have to remember that restaurants are businesses and they have to stay in business. And though everyone thinks they want grass fed beef, most people actually prefer the taste of corn fed - it is less dry, more marbled, and less gamey, not to mention much less expensive than grass fed.

My mother's kitchen was built to be the focal point of our house. I got into the kitchen often as a child.

There's not a single chef I know of that does not think about the politics of the food they're serving.

There are few women in America that don't want to lose 5 pounds, but I refuse to let that thought dominate my life. And there are too many other real problems in the world - real obesity problems and real hunger problems - to worry that much about a few pounds that I'd like to lose.

Balance is key in cooking - you want a little acid, a little sweet, a little savory - the flavors should be harmonious.