I write everything down. I e-mail the second I think of something, or I write notes in my BlackBerry calendar. I set up reminder alerts on my phone. And I have a notebook by my bedside so I can write down any last-minute ideas.

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.

Food brings people together on many different levels. It's nourishment of the soul and body; it's truly love.

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

As long as you're eating well and moving your body every day, age is just a state of mind

My goal is to make Italian food clean and accessible and beautiful and tasty, with simple ingredients that people can find at a local grocery store, because people don't want to go to a gourmet shop in search of items that will sit in their pantry for years after they use just a teaspoon or pinch of them.

I always say to people that working full time and being a mom is probably the hardest job, because as a mom you think about your child 24/7.