When I do a 30-minute meal, for instance, on Food Network, thats my food you see at the end of the show and its not perfect. And if sometimes things break or drop or the pasta hits the wall when Im draining it, they never stop tape. They just kind of let me go with it. – Rachael Ray

My husband cooks fancier food for himself than Ive ever cooked on-air. I call him from the road, and hes making champagne-vanilla salmon or black-cherry pork chop. Half of me is feeling unworthy. Not only am I not a chef, Im not a better cook than my own husband! – Rachael Ray

My mom, whos been in the restaurant business for 40 years, is the number-one influence in my life. But I look up to a lot of people in the industry. Tops on my list is Mario Batali. My mom and Mario taught me the same lesson: Food is love. – Rachael Ray