I Had A Very Tough Childhood. I

I'm Into Very Colorful Food. Obviously Lots Of Flavor, But I Think We Eat With Our Eyes First, So It Has To Look Great. The Presentation Has To Be Great.

Any Time You Do Anything Different In This Life, It's Risky. But I've Only Done Things Differently, And It's Gotten Me Quite Far. If You Want To Make A Splash, You've Got To Step Out On That Ledge And Jump. And I Could Land Flat On My Face And It Would Be The Biggest Nightmare Of My Life. I'm Willing To Risk It. I Want To Help Change The Way Male Chefs See Females. I Want To Show Them That, Yes, We're Emotional And, Yes, Sometimes We Make Irrational Decisions, But We're Passionate About What We Do, And That Passion Will Propel Us To The Next Level.

To A Billion People Around The World Surviving On Just A Dollar A Day, The Question Of What To Eat Tonight Is More About Life And Death Than About Recipes. The Struggle Of Poor People Around The Globe Weighs Heavily On Me, Especially Now That I Am A Mother, Which Is Why I Work With Oxfam.

Many Chefs Of A Certain Caliber Do Not See Me As A Chef. I Don't Have A Restaurant. They See Me As A Tv Food Personality, Not A Chef. I've Gotten Respect, Trust Me, They Respect Me, But I Think That I Can't Hit That Particular Level Of Respect From Them Until I Have A Successful Vegas Restaurant That Not Only Makes Money But Creates Unbelievable Food And A Fabulous Experience. I Don't Think People Think I Can Cook, And They Don't Think I Know What The Hell I'm Doing.

I Spent Time At My Grandfather Dino's Gourmet Store Where He Brought In Chefs From Naples To Cook. I Thought Of Them As Rock Stars.