My mom taught me how to make grilled chicken and I bake too.

I can't grill vegetables shellfish or steaks without tongs. Don't bother with those long-handled grilling tongs normally found in the BBQ section of your home store. Get intimate with your grill and opt for the regular stainless steel tongs.

Obviously the easiest recipes are the most successful when it comes to the home cook because they're not intimidated by them. If I'm doing 'Boy Meets Grill ' and I do something very simple like grilled hamburgers or steaks or chicken those are the most sought-after recipes.

I'm the only girl on The Food Network who grills - I have two bestselling grilling books. I try to really focus on what men and women can do outside together out on the grill. I think it's really fun to have men and women out there together having fun working and enjoying themselves.

Everyone prefers some foods over others but some adults take this tendency to an extreme. These people tend to prefer the kinds of bland food they may have enjoyed as children - such as plain or buttered pasta macaroni and cheese cheese pizza French fries and grilled cheese sandwiches - and to restrict their eating to just a few dishes.

'The Food Network' was just starting in New York and I was getting lots of attention from Mesa Grill. They had no money so if you couldn't get there by subway you couldn't be on. It wasn't like TV was something I really wanted to do - but I knew it would be great publicity for my restaurants.

You don't want flame to hit your food. Flame is bad. Flame does nasty things to food. It makes soot and it makes deposits of various chemicals that are not too good for us. The last thing you really want to see licking at your food while it's on a grill is an actual flame.

Start with a clean grill. Keep it clean by brushing with a wire brush after preheating and again after cooking. Make sure to oil your grates and your food before putting it on the grill to keep it from sticking.

I keep my diet simple by sticking to mostly fruits and vegetables all day and then having whatever I want for dinner. I end up making healthy choices like sushi or grilled fish because I feel so good from eating well.