Giada De Laurentiis

Giada: (About cooking at home for guests vs. cooking on TV) It's a chance to talk to the people I'm cooking for. When you cook on television, you don't get that. It's really a lot of fun for me, filling their tummies with goodness.

Giada: (About her new show, Giada's Weekend Getaways) The show was a collaborative idea between the Food Network and myself. Travel shows are so popular that we decided to combine travel and food into a new show that offers ideas, food and great scenery.

Giada:(On why she became a chef) I grew up in the kitchen, mostly with my grandfather, my mother and my aunt Raffy. My grandfather's family used to own a pasta factory in Naples and they would go door-to-door selling their pasta. So his love of food came from his parents, which was then passed down to my mother and then again to me. Some of my best memories growing up are being in the kitchen with my family cooking. I also spent time at my grandfather Dino's gourmet store, DDL Foodshow, where he brought in chefs from Naples to cook. I thought of them as rock stars. I loved being there, and that made me decide to become a chef.

Giada: (Her advice on becoming a chef) My biggest bit of advice would be to spend some time actually helping caterers or Chefs, even if it has to be for free or as an intern of culinary externship. It helps immerse yourself in what you potentially want to do. Being involved, learning firsthand and observing the craft and absorbing all you can, makes it easier to define what you want. It will also ultimately make you a better Chef. Culinary school, or even a single class, is a great bet too.

Giada:(On her other favorite cuisines) Definitely Japanese. I love how clean and refined the dishes are. They're simple in their ingredients but the flavors and presentation are typically amazing. Second would be Chinese.

Giada:(On how she can still be in good shape while being a chef) I have to say that this is by far the question I am most frequently asked, and my answer is always the same: genetics, portion control and fresh ingredients. If you've ever seen my mother either on the show or in photographs, you'll notice that she is quite petite, trim. So I have her to thank for getting me off to a good start. In addition, I've never been one to sit down to a meal with a large plate of food and eat every morsel until I was uncomfortably full. Rather, I graze - eating small portions of food all day long. And the ingredients are clean and fresh. Yes, I absolutely love chocolate, and I do eat it, but just a bite.

Giada:(On who her inspirations are) Definitely my grandfather, my mom and my aunt Raffy. They've all taught me something about Italian cooking: tradition, simplicity and creativity, respectively.