Thanksgiving is one of my favorite American traditions. I quickly picked it up when I moved to the U.S. from Sweden.

Cooking is in an honest profession where you cannot hide and let others do the work for you. You have to show up, work hard and prove you can do it faster and better. And find a mentor who will recognize your talent and push you in the right direction.

In Africa, you have no clean water, but you have good food options. In Harlem, everyone can shower and get fresh water, but you often have bad food options.

People come up to me all the time and ask how I stay the way I am, and it's no secret. The first lesson a chef needs to learn is how to handle a knife; the second is how to be around all that food.

If you're cooking for someone important - whether it's your boss or a date - never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.

In Europe I couldn't be anything but a black cook working for somebody. My inspiration was to own, to be the chef.

I love Thanksgiving because it's a holiday that is centered around food and family, two things that are of utmost importance to me.