Beauty is no accomplishment on its own. It's what you do with it.

I usually doze off between 7:30 and 9 p.m. while putting my baby to sleep. Then I suddenly wake up remembering I'm an adult with no bedtime. I spend the next four hours catching up on reading, e-mails, and other adult pursuits until I collapse for good until sunrise.

I'm an immigrant kid who came to America from India when I was very young and grew up in New York City with a single mom and really was influenced by all of those immigrant cultures bumping up against each other.

From the simple stringing together of lemon garlands for the goddess Durga, to dividing the prasadam or blessed foods for the children first, I came to associate food not only with feminity, but also with purity and divinity.

I always loved my bangles, I can't remember a time when I didn't have a bangle on.

People always comment about my clothes. They don't think a fashionable woman can love food and be knowledgeable and actually cook.

I will eat anything, at least once. For better or worse.