Food is not a means toward resolution. It can't cure heartbreak or solve untenable dilemmas.

'Blue Plate Special' is the autobiography of my first half-century of life, with food as the subject.

I realized that I've had a really rocky relationship with food - it has not been a gauzy, beautiful summer of ripe melons and perfectly buttered toast.

I think there's a part of my brain where food, language, and memory all intersect, and it's really powerful. I think I'm not alone in this.

When I was younger, I read all the great food memoirs, by M.F.K. Fisher and Laurie Colwin and Julia Child and Nicolas Freeling and Ruth Reichl, and felt flooded with a sense of comfort and safety.

My big New Year's resolution is to be more patient. My thing is I'm always rushing myself to make sure everything gets done. My thing is to kick back a little bit ... start soaking it in now.