I like to have friends in the kitchen and make a big mess and use every pot in the kitchen.

What I bring to the table is a huge enthusiasm and love for this stuff.

I went in saying I wanted to be the food guy.

You know the great irony is that people think you have to have money to enjoy fine food, which is a shame.

However, I was a restaurant critic at Chicago magazine before I worked at Esquire, and I've been a really enthusiastic home cook for a long time. It's just something I'm passionate about.

Planning a dinner party in a way that you're actually capable of getting it done without panicking is important. It's bad hospitality for the host to be freaked out.

Cooking for people is an enormously significant expression of generosity and soulfulness, and entertaining is a way to be both generous and creative. You're sharing your life with people. Of course, it's also an expression of your own need for approval and applause. Nothing wrong with that.