Part of my job as a food writer is to describe food. So my work on 'Top Chef,' I feel, is an extension of that. When we give a criticism to the contestant, we want to make sure we tell them why it's not working and why it would work if they did it a different way.

I'm still amazed at how much people are willing to humiliate themselves to be on TV.

In a way that somebody else converts to Judaism or becomes a Hare Krishna, I belong to the church of fried chicken.

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

Jewelry should not upstage you. I pick one hot point on my body that I'm going to highlight. Let one area do the singing - you don't want to hear three songs at once.

I love seafood. I'm not a vegetarian but I'm probably a pescetarian.

An oil massage, a hot bath, a good night's sleep, soft smells and music and clothes with soft textures denote sensuality to me.