Good food and a warm kitchen are what makes a house a home.

Yum-O! I say this if something is so good that 'yum' just isn't enough of an exclamation. The accent is on the 'O' as in, 'Oh! That is so good!'

You do it with your own two hands, so there's a sense of pride. You really do forget all our problems, because you're focusing on the food.

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.

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

Good food and a warm kitchen are what makes a house a home.

My mom, who's been in the restaurant business for 40 years, is the number-one influence in my life. But I look up to a lot of people in the industry. Tops on my list is Mario Batali. My mom and Mario taught me the same lesson: Food is love.