The less you do to beautiful food, the better it's going to taste. You don't need to mess with it all the time.

Patience was not something that came naturally to me, but in cooking it is the quintessential skill.

I have a mantra in my head that there will always be another meal. I can put my fork down, knowing there will be good things in my future!

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.

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.

I always want my guests to be happy and impressed.

At the beginning of the week, I roast a ton of vegetables so I can use them for the next few days. I also plan out meals in advance.