Alex Guarnaschelli

My mom is a self-taught home cook, so books that offer guidelines on how to organize menus are critical to 'cook from the book' people like her.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Make something simple a few times until you 'master' it and move on to the next thing. Take a cooking class! Buy a cookbook that specializes in foods or a cuisine you enjoy.

Make dinner with the goal of stretching it out for lunch in the back of your mind. Making more of one thing is cheaper than buying more varied ingredients for each meal.

My reasons for becoming a chef are somewhat of a cliche. I always loved to eat but it was watching my parents cook that really served as the impetus for my career choice.

I think no one would dispute that 'Chopped' is a highly athletic television show.

I find myself hoping I can get on a TV show, and then people from Oklahoma will come to my restaurant. Then I'll be able to make enough money to open my own place.

The best place to use vanilla beans is anywhere where they won't be mixed in with a million other flavors. Anything with dairy, yogurt, milk, cream, or eggs - any custard or flan - how can it be bad?

My last meal on Earth? The obvious answer is a plate of my mother's scrambled eggs.

As a chef, a mom, and a member of Team No Kid Hungry, I believe that every child deserves three meals a day, every day.

I didn't cook that much as a kid. My mother was cooking, and I was her helper. We made dishes together.

I have a daughter who has taught me a lot along the way.

There's a freshness to the approach of teen chefs. They're lighthearted, and they're not afraid to take risks.