My first memory in life is grilling my thumb to the griddle in our restaurant on Cape Cod.
I wish I could be as thin as Jessica Simpson. I think she looks gorgeous! I have had Jessica on my show several times, and I can tell you that girl is genuine and funny with a great self-deprecating sense of humor.
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.
Work hard. Laugh when you feel like crying. Keep an open mind, open eyes and an open spirit.
I like feeling like an ox at the end of the day. I like working hard.
Make big pots of soups, stews and chilis - they stretch a buck, and you can live off them for days!
I don't think young men or women should feel pressured into marriage. You shouldn't marry anyone, in my opinion, who you have to try hard for.
We have a queen-size bed and the dog sleeps in the middle. John and I are sort of these little quotation marks on either corner.
NASA asked me to create meals for the space shuttle. Thai chicken was the favorite. I flew in a fake space shuttle, but I have no desire to go into space after seeing the toilet.
I measure in my palm and use my eyes to estimate amounts; a tablespoon is a full palm of dried spices.
