Pretty much every time I try something different or do something in front of a live audience, I truly think they might throw peanuts at me.

I wasn't looking to get into TV. My family was in the movie business, so I was never interested in that world.

For a healthy alternative to buffalo wings, slide the bone of a human finger into a block of tofu and bake.

I made lemon spaghetti in an early season of 'Everyday Italian,' and to this day people still come up to me and say they love it. It's very, very simple. Basically, you cook the pasta and mix together Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice and zest and pour it over the pasta.

There's nothing like a home-cooked meal - nothing! When people ask me what the best restaurant in L.A. is, I say, 'Uh, my house.' It's more intimate. Food can connect people in a forever sort of way.

I think children learning to cook can be such a wonderful thing. It can help build confidence, make them feel good about themselves. It helped me build my ego and even start to get acceptance at school. I'd bring things to class that I'd cooked at home.

I was so nervous to turn 40, but the last year and a half has been the most fun I have ever had.