Our best hits are real-estate stories, going back to our first, JoJo in 1991.

At lunchtime, our kitchen was like a mini restaurant: my grandmother and mother had to cook for as many as 25 people - extended family plus 10 employees. We ate a lot of cabbage and a lot of potatoes.

Pound Ridge is about five miles from our country house. When you go every weekend for the last ten years without fail, well, that starts to feel like a home.

My presence in California will bring a new, inspiring culinary environment to life, and I'm delighted to share my creative techniques and evolving fresh ideas with the Beverly Hills community.

The role of a chef isn't to reinvent dishes but to tweak.

I think food is getting lighter and healthier because people eat out so often. It's about quality ingredients because that is the root of good food.