The strands of spaghetti were vital, almost alive in my mouth, and the olive oil was singing with flavor. It was hard to imagine that four simple ingredients [olive oil, pasta, garlic and cheese] could marry so perfectly.

Life is so endlessly delicious

I had done this. I had pulled my life apart. I would never, ever be safe again.

A thousand years ago the Chinese had an entirely codified kitchen while the French were still gnawing on bones. Chopsticks have been around since the fourth century B.C. Forks didn't show up in England until 1611, and even then they weren't meant for eating but just to hold the meat still while you hacked at it with your knife.

One of the secrets to staying young is to always do things you don't know how to do, to keep learning.

...it was so rich and exotic I was seduced into taking one bite and then another as I tried to chase the flavors back to their source.

Anyone who thinks they're too grown up or too sophisticated to eat caramel corn, is not invited to my house for dinner