I want my daughter to see a strong woman who goes after what she wants.

In order to keep your husband, you have to make time for him. Rather than going out to dinner, I like to spend time for just the two of us.

My grandfather's family used to own a pasta factory in Naples and they would go door-to-door selling their pasta. So his love of food came from his parents, which was then passed down to my mother and then again to me.

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

I had a very tough childhood. I came here from Italy in the '70s and didn't speak a word of English, so the kids at school tormented me. Truly, it was horrifying the names they called me, and the teachers never really did a thing to stop it.

I have been blessed with a good, fun, and wonderful life, but I've also seen a whole lot of pain.

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.