It is important to experiment and endlessly seek after creating the best possible flavours when preparing foods. That means not being afraid to experiment with various ingredients

I was on the show previously as a guest host, so I had a little practice.

Just over 800 people were gathered around the cooking stage, all eager to learn about my five-minute flavor cooking. The demonstration had to be done right then and there, in front of everyone.

I was pleasantly surprised after the book came out. It was like, hey, the home team put down a nice score.

There really is a camaraderie among chefs and a willingness to help out whenever we can.

The 1,000 tasting portions were to be served over a period of six hours, starting at noon, so we would have to prep those another way, to keep them as fresh as possible.

At times, it was an incredible blessing to have all the attention; at times it was a logistical nightmare.