I love the simplicity the ingredients the culture the history and the seasonality of Italian cuisine. In Italy people do not travel. They cook the way grandma did using fresh ingredients and what is available in season.

I'm passionate and I travel the world not just as a tourist but to understand cultures... I've lived with Masai tribe... I travel the world and bring it back in the form of a research book that would become the starting point for the collection.

Because when you have millions of people with this kind of need for gratification and the culture is saying that it's possible for everyone to satisfy all of their needs and desires all of the time there are obviously going to be clashes - clashes of ego.

I did work at a mall in college - I think retail/customer service is just one of the most hideous jobs in the world. So I always try to be extra nice when I go into a store. But malls are part of our culture if you watched any teen comedy in the '80s. it's clear that malls are where we live!

I'm so fascinated by the concept of teen pregnancy for some reason. Not that I condone it or promote it but it's just a very real thing in our country and culture.

I've been thinking about the distorted view of science that prevails in our culture. I've been wondering about this because our civilization is completely dependent on science and high technology yet most of us are alienated from science.

The world has become more complex as technology and easy travel mixes cultures without homogenizing them.

By 2007 we were finally living in a culture where people get what networks are and what technology can do to connect people.

Robots are interesting because they exist as a real technology that you can really study - you can get a degree in robotics - and they also have all this pop-culture real estate that they take up in people's minds.

I know there are lots of positives in the evolution of technology but I also think it will be responsible for the end of a unique character of a specific kind of geographical culture. The world is getting so small and mass production is getting so big. Everything is in danger of becoming the same.