Food is for eating, and good food is to be enjoyed... I think food is, actually, very beautiful in itself.
A hen's egg is, quite simply, a work of art, a masterpiece of design and construction with, it has to be said, brilliant packaging!
Although a food processor is not an absolutely essential piece of equipment, because you can certainly chop, grate, slice, knead and mix everything by hand, it does do all these things very quickly and efficiently and saves you time and energy
A cake is a very good test of an oven: if it browns too much on one side and not on the other, it's not your fault - you need to have your oven checked.
Hopefully people will be inspired to cook. It's my mission to persuade people not to be afraid of cooking.
The thing I can't resist is a pork pie. That's my idea of a lovely treat.
There are people who claim to be instinctive cooks, who never follow recipes or weigh anything at all. All I can say is they're not very fussy about what they eat. For me, cooking is an exact art and not some casual game.
I sometimes think the chef end of cooking is not the real end of cooking. Cooking is all about homes and gardens, it doesn't happen in restaurants
Good kitchen equipment is expensive, but most items last a lifetime and will pay for themselves over and over again
I found in my whole career the best thing that can happen to you is that you hear what people want.
I think Antony Worrall Thompson is dreadful, just repulsive.
Football is becoming all about money. I would like to be in a lift with Gordon Brown and say, 'Please do something about football.'
I have tried all my life to look after my skin, so I never do things like go to bed with make-up on. I also always use moisturisers. But I certainly do not believe in Botox or anything like that. The thought of it just makes me think 'urgh'.
Memories are fallible and a timer can save a lot of hard work from going out of the window
A measuring jug is also vital when cooking rice, as this is always measured by volume rather than by weight
The chemicals in the dishwashing process tend not to be good for saucepans.
But quite honestly I can't help being a passionate football supporter. If that's my sin, I'm guilty
In our house, some of our favourite recipes just happen to be vegetarian, but I still enjoy meat and I believe very much in meat.
Getting into the habit of switching a timer on will, I promise, save you from any number of kitchen disasters.
I cheated at school. I remember on one occasion I wrote some history dates in pen on my leg. So when there was a question like 'What year did that happen?', I'd lift my skirt up and have a look.
If I was a Mayor, I would sort the traffic out and that includes public transport. The traffic jams really get on my nerves.
I don't get insomnia, but I do get the odd night when I can't unwind.
A message to the best football supporters in the world. We need a 12th man here. Where are you? Where are you? Let's be having you. Come on!
In 35 years of being in the media, I've had all this mud flung at me many, many times. It's not the first time. It's nothing unusual. I've been through it all before and the best way to deal with it is not to read them
I have always read all the latest cookery books and magazines, from all over the world
