I'm a home cook and love to read about food, but I'm not trained as a chef. I'm just really into cooking and passionate about it.

However, I was a restaurant critic at Chicago magazine before I worked at Esquire, and I've been a really enthusiastic home cook for a long time. It's just something I'm passionate about.

But cooking is about emotion - if you want to please someone, you have to do it with your heart. It's a therapy. Right spices and right attitude matters! Careful shopping, fresh ingredients and an unhurried approach are nearly all you need. There is one more thing – love.

I cook everything. I love Mediterranean cooking, I love Asian cooking. I do lots of Japanese noodles.

I'm a terrific Mexican cook, and I just love Mexican food. And I love cooking Mexican food.

You have to balance, but you can be aggressive as a chef. It benefits the food. You have to be passionate. You can't be angry cooking.