I'm Completely Unqualified For Any Job I've

My Mom, Who's Been In The Restaurant Business For 40 Years, Is The Number-one Influence In My Life. But I Look Up To A Lot Of People In The Industry. Tops On My List Is Mario Batali. My Mom And Mario Taught Me The Same Lesson: Food Is Love.

I Started Running 3 Miles Every Morning After Throat Surgery To Remove A Cyst Last Year. The Gym Used To Be My Adversary. But That Has All Changed. Now, I Look Forward To It Every Morning.

My Mom Said The Two Most Important Kitchen Utensils Are Attached To Your Arms... You Cannot Mix Up Meatballs With A Wooden Spoon, Get In There, Get Your Fingers Dirty!

If You're Preparing A Dinner For Friends Or A Holiday Dinner, Make Sure To Only Prepare Recipes You Are Comfortable With And Have Cooked Before. Cooking For Others Is Not The Time To Try Out A Recipe For The First Time. You End Up Spending All Your Time In The Kitchen Instead Of Enjoying Your Company.

Yum-o! I Say This If Something Is So Good That 'yum' Just Isn't Enough Of An Exclamation. The Accent Is On The 'o' As In, 'oh! That Is So Good!'