I Think Eating In Itself

Part Of My Job As A Food Writer Is To Describe Food. So My Work On 'top Chef,' I Feel, Is An Extension Of That. When We Give A Criticism To The Contestant, We Want To Make Sure We Tell Them Why It's Not Working And Why It Would Work If They Did It A Different Way.

I Grew Up A Vegetarian. Then, Because I Grew Up In The States, I Started Slowly Eating Meat. First It Was Bologna Sandwiches, Or Pepperoni On Pizza.

My Mom Was Scared Of The Old Times Square So I Was Never Allowed To Go. Now I'm Scared Of The New Times Square, So I Still Never Go.

All Chefs Are Like Jewish Mothers. They Want To Feed You And Feed You And Impress You. It's An Eagerness To Please.

There Are Two Schools Of Fried Chicken. One Is Brining In Salted Water And The Other Is Soaking In Either Buttermilk Or Milk. I Just Combine The Two.