I never knew I would go this far, but I was told by people it wouldn't happen, and now I own four restaurants, and I have one of the best shows on the Food Network. I'm living in the Super Bowl of food.
Did I ever think about TV stardom? I don't watch a lot of TV. I wasn't even aware of the phenomenon of what was going on in food television, what you started with the Food Network.
It's tough, you know: I'm a chef first, and a restaurant owner, way before I was ever on Food Network, and it's a tough business.
I eat healthier than you think. I eat grains and vegetables when I'm home - and I eat in courses. My wife, Lori, thinks it's because I don't want foods to touch. That's not it. If you eat courses, you slow down your meal and eat less. It's a trick I picked up in France as a kid.
We are not blessed with junk food - my family and my kids do not eat fast foods.
If you looked in my fridge, you'd see maybe 12 different mustards.
Contrary to popular belief, I eat all types of food. Fried food is my least favorite.
Kids want to saute, to cut the pizza, to see how the ingredients come together. If you let them do the fun stuff, they'll develop skills and interests that will stay with them forever.
If it tastes really good, and it's funky, it's funkalicous. If the guy making it is funky, he's funkintacious.
I think anyone that grew up in the '70s and '80s grew up with Bob Barker and Wink Martindale and I think that was just always... when you were a game show host, you were the man of the hour.
I've been using the same hair wax for as long as I can remember. I'm not a gel guy, I'm not a perfume guy, not really into any of that.
Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people get together to eat.
I'm a big greens fan. I'm a big vegetable fan. I'm a big whole grains fan. And I exercise a lot. That's how I keep this petite dancer's figure.
Outdoor cooking is not just about hot dogs and hamburgers. There are so many styles of food you can make.
I was raised with hippie parents, so I get down with the positive. I don't pay attention to the negative.
When I was 12, we began hosting exchange students from Norway, Sweden, Japan and Spain. I soon realized there was a whole world out there. I was determined to spend my sophomore year in high school abroad. My school taught only Spanish, but I wanted to go to France, and I did.
Kids love food. It's about putting materials out there that get kids thinking about food - to get kids interacting about food. It's about simple things, like kids thinking about pasta - getting kids to work with food.
I once saw professional soccer up there in Seattle, the Sounders. I went and saw that. I'm not a big soccer fan, but watching a live game is unbelievable. And then I went to Italy and saw a soccer match; it's something everyone should do once. It'll blow your mind.
In Japanese, sushi does not mean raw fish. It means seasoned rice.
Your classic guacamole is just avocados, lime juice, and salt.