“The best job a man could have would be a chef. They’d understand the long hours I work and the drive and ambition it takes to succeed.”

For work, I wear art; in real life, I wear clothes.

I like it when a man puts thought into the kind of restaurant we’re going to. That doesn’t mean it needs to be fancy – some of the best meals of my life have been having a taco on a street corner.

I love getting into people’s brains and understanding the creative impetus for something.

My dad’s a lighting director. Growing up in Hollywood, I was around the entertainment industry all the time. I knew I’d end up in show business in some capacity, eventually.

If we treated ourselves as well as we treated our best friend, can you imagine?

I’ve never wanted to be a lady who lunches – I’ve always wanted to be a woman who works.

As I’ve gotten older, I like longer dresses, but my legs come up to my ears, and I’m not very tall, so when I wear a short skirt,I’ve got to be really conscious.

My mom is a yoga instructor: 100% black with dreadlocks.

When I get ready to go out, it’s half hour and we’re out of the door. I don’t want to waste time getting ready: I want to go and have fun.

I pride myself in figuring out how to elevate a dish with a little preserved lemon or, then, a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

My parents always told me if I believed something was wrong, I should try to fix it.

You have to take care of yourself so you can manage the workload of a very, very full plate.

My mother was a free-spirited clinical therapist, and I had the most hard-working father, a television lighting director by trade. My mum raised me to be a global citizen, with eyes open to sometimes harsh realities.

I grew up with that farm-to-table dining before it was sweeping the nation. I do think there’s some value to really throwing yourself into food and embracing where it comes from.

Once you develop a comfort level with someone, that translates on camera.

I never want to lose touch with reality. I won’t push $100 candles just because. I realized that I could create a hub of positivity and affirmation.