I like to be firm. But it is easier to be nice than to be nasty.

I used to write cookbooks. It was passion to try to bring healthy and fun recipes to people's homes. It was a way to bring my home to theirs.

I want to give people a basic education, and to help them think for themselves when it comes to food.

Television in the '80s was very limited. There was no Food Network. When I opened Spago, I had the kitchen in the dining hall. It was probably the first restaurant to do so. The dining scene became more casual. All these cooking shows have transformed our profession one-hundred percent.

It's easier being a judge than a competitor. As a judge, you don't have any risks. That makes it much more enjoyable.

Prep things in advance so that you don't have to cook everything at the last moment.

I fell in love with food because of my mother. So, I will definitely be sharing and expanding more recipes from my culture (as well as many other cultures), and will be sharing recipes that I have experienced from my whole culinary life.