I Had A Fierce Curiosity About This

You Go To A Restaurant In The States And Kids Have These Game Boards At The Table. You Don't See That In Italy Or Spain. It's Not Because They Can't Afford To Buy Them, It's Because That's Not What Eating Together As A Family Is About.

Cooking Is So Popular Today Because It's The Perfect Mix Of Food And Fun.

I Have A Lot Of Influences. I'm American-schooled. I'm Classically Trained. I'm A Pretty Universal Student, If You Will. I Have A Lot Of Degrees, Which Really Don't Pay The Rent. I Have Two Doctorate Degrees, I Have A Bachelor's Degree, But I'm Still A Cook.

When I Want To Kick It Up, I Like To Add Hardwood Chips Or Chunks To The Grill; It Adds Bold Smoky Flavors. The Most Common Woods Are Hickory And Mesquite, But You Can Find Alder, Apple, Cherry And, My Personal Favorite, Pecan.

The Cool Thing Is That Now That People Have Made This Evolution Where Cooking Is Cool, People Are Doing It On Weekends, They're Doing Their Own Challenges. It's Back To Cooking. And It's Real Cooking.