I've Lived In The Hamptons Since 1978,

I Learned That The Hardest Party To Pull Off Successfully Is Saturday Night Dinner. This Meal Is Expected To Be Elaborate: Appetizers, First Course, Dinner, Dessert, And Coffee. People Arrive At 7:30 Or 8 P.m. And Stay For Hours - Definitely Past My Bedtime - And They All Go Home Exhausted.

I Time Everything. I'm A Scientist At Heart.

You Don't Have To Do Everything From Scratch. Nobody Wants To Make Puff Pastry!

When I First Started Writing Cookbooks, I Remember Thinking To Myself, What Makes Me Think I Can Write A Cookbook? There Are These Great Chefs Who Are Really Trained. And, As I Started, I Realized, Actually, What Is My Lack Is Actually Exactly Right, Because I Can Connect With - Cooking's Hard For Me. I Never Worked On... And That's Why My Recipes Are Really Simple, Because I Want To Be Able To Do Them.

I'm Really A Scientist. I Follow Recipes Exactly - Until I Decide Not To. And Then I'll Follow Something Else Exactly. I May Decide I Could Turn This Peach Tart Into A Plum Tart, But If I'm Following A Recipe, I Follow It Exactly.