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.

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.

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

You can't fake being able to cook well.

Because I travel so much, I bring my workout clothes and shoes wherever I go. That way I can always do some exercise.

Patience is the secret to good food.