...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

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.

It is not 'only' food, I said heatedly. There's meaning hidden underneath each dish.

The single most useful ingredient on the planet. In a pinch you can scramble them and call it dinner. But it only takes five eggs, a little milk and a handful of cheese to make a fat, sassy cheese soufflé.

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

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