Most of my food memories are of my Nan cooking Sunday dinners - roasts of meat with lots of vegetables. I suppose I cook what's comforting and dishes that make me feel good.

I still worry that I could be better. That's where standards come from, from not wanting to settle. The fear of not being good enough propels you.

People with chile peppers on their chef pants shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen.

I can't be everywhere, but I'm always in one of my kitchens, and hopefully I'm motivating and inspiring.

I was in love with the British 'The Office', so even though I love Steve Carell, when they were going to remake it, I was like, 'This is not going to work. I'm going to completely veto this show. I am not going to watch this show.' But now, I love it.

Nothing in my decade-plus entertainment career has meant more to me personally and professionally than my involvement with HQ.

I played the guitar and thought that was what I was going to do as a career. I still record music that is played in my restaurants.

I take a lean-startup approach: creating agile, interdisciplinary teams that get the minimum viable product to market as soon as possible. It's my job to be entrepreneur-in-residence, an internal change agent.