It's fun to pick a cuisine and say I'm going to research Ethiopian food and see what it's all about. You find that there are a lot of similarities in cuisines from around the world and a lot of similar flavors.

I'm into very colorful food. Obviously lots of flavor but I think we eat with our eyes first so it has to look great. The presentation has to be great.

My grandfather gave me inspiration to cook and love food and flavors. My Aunt Raffie gave me creativity and the inspiration to create new things. My mother inspires me to find simplicity in food.

Habaneros have a great fruity flavor but the challenge is that you have to deflect the heat in order to taste the flavor. If you don't you're dead. They should really have a warning sign on them. Deflect the habanero's heat by pairing it with sweet food.

If I could only have one type of food with me I would bring soy sauce. The reason being that if I have soy sauce I can flavor a lot of things.

Know how to garnish food so that it is more appealing to the eye and even more flavorful than before.

Love like a chicken salad or restaurant hash must be taken with blind faith or it loses its flavor.

Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.

Life has a certain flavor for those who have fought and risked all that the sheltered and protected can never experience.

If you eat a lot of starchy foods introduce a vegetable once a week then twice a week and then three times a week. Slowly fill your diet with new flavors. By the time you're ready to let go of whatever it is you want to let go of you've got a full menu.