What I Go For In My Cooking

We're Setting Up An Urban Farm For Kids On More Than 20 Acres In New Orleans. We Want To Make This A World-class Educational Center For The Community.

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.

I Try To Teach My Son About Sanitation, Especially When Handling Foods Like Chicken That Could Be Dangerous. I Remind Him To Wash His Hands All The Time. When My Son Cooks With Me, He Stands On A Step Stool So He Can Reach The Stove. I Teach Him About Safety And Fire.

I Grew Up In Fall River, Massachusetts. My Background Was Modest, And I Worked At A Portuguese Bakery In Town.

My Inspiration Was My Mom. She's A Great Cook, And She Still Cooks, And We Still Banter Back And Forth About Cooking. Growing Up In A Mostly Portuguese Community, Food Was Important And The Family Table Was Extremely Important. At A Very Young Age I Understood That.