I tried to bake a cake for my mother's birthday - it took me four hours. It was terrible, and I cried for three days.

Make big pots of soups, stews and chilis - they stretch a buck, and you can live off them for days!

I was always a person on my mother's hip in the kitchen. My mom really wanted her kids at her side as much as possible, and she worked in restaurants for over fifty years. And my grandfather had ten children, and he grew and prepared most of the food. My grandmother, on my mother's side, was the family seamstress and the baker. So my mom, the eldest child, was always in the kitchen with my grandpa and I was always in the production and restaurant kitchens and our own kitchen with my mom. And it's just something that has always spoken to me.

I measure in my palm and use my eyes to estimate amounts; a tablespoon is a full palm of dried spices.

Whatever it is you want to do, take a job in that field. You will learn by experience and, slow and steady, you'll get it done!

I really believe there's no such thing as accidents, only opportunities. God gives everyone the ingredients to a good, happy life. It's up to us to make the most of them.

I'm not a chef. I haven't created any new technique in the kitchen. I'm not a rocket scientist. I think I'm good at writing accessible, fun, and affordable meals for the average American family. That's what I think I'm good at.