Canada is a big part of my life.

I am a glutton for a beautiful hotel. I am so easily smitten by high thread counts.

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

You don't get second chances in the real world.

Ultimately, I realized that in order to write about food you need to understand everything about cooking, so I moved to New York and enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education.

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

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.