Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself.

The most indespensible ingredient of all good home cooking: love for those you are cooking for.

Without my mother's ambition, her drive, I doubt that on my own I would have pushed myself out of Pozzuoli and into the frightening world that was faraway Rome.

Ignorance has its virtues; without it there'd be mighty little conversation.

I do 45 minutes a day of stretching and abdominals and I lift light weights of half a kilo. Otherwise, if you strain your muscles, then you have to be quiet and stay without any exercise for a long time. I do heavier weights gradually. I'm going to become Superwoman with oil on my muscles!

I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0.

I am against all war.