People see me on TV two and three times a day, and see me cooking all these wonderfully Southern, fattening dishes. That's only 30 days out of 365. And it's for entertainment.

Would I have fired me? Knowing me? No.

You know, nobody can ever cook as good as your mama.

I don't care what the haters and naysayers say. If they make jokes about me, I'll laugh because they'll probably be funny.

Cooking has always brought me a happiness that I didn't think was available. I just fire up the stove, and things start to fade away.

There's nothing better than being able to give your children wings so they can soar and fly in the direction they want to go in.

I am proud to be a Southerner.