Christina Tosi

“I love checking out aspiring bakers' offerings at local farmers' markets when the weather is nice.”

“When I first opened Milk Bar, I was also making desserts for the Momofuku restaurants. I will say that by day three or day four, I realized that operating a bakery was so different from operating a restaurant.”

“I think a lot of people think being in the kitchen is being really serious, and especially that baking is very serious, very straitlaced. For me, it's about figuring out your voice, finding your personality, and getting in the kitchen to explore.”

“Simple syrup doesn't taste like anything.”

“I love the challenge of thinking about how we might approach a bowl of cereal. People are getting so involved in foodie culture and becoming more educated about their food, and yet it can be really simple to do something that's so good for you.”

“Running shouldn't feel like a punishment or an obligation. It should be a treat.”

“My curiosity and love for food started at an early age. My mother was a working mom, so I learned to whip up sweet and savory food using everyday pantry and grocery store ingredients that required little supervision.”

“There are so many messages out there about what you should be eating and drinking and what you should be putting in your body at the beginning of the day. It's confusing, and people get very overwhelmed. Really, one of the greatest options is just a bowl of cereal and milk.”

“A bright lipstick is a quick way to glam up my look.”

“I love the warmth of apple pie.”

“I have worked my way up in the food industry being strong and steady about who I am as a person, first and foremost, as a chef and professional, and certainly as a woman.”

“When I'm menu-developing at Milk Bar, I'll go for weeks at a time where all I'm doing is testing out layer cakes or different cookies and testing out changes.”

“If you're coming to dinner at our house, you know you're gonna be well-fed.”

“It's that strength of the human spirit, the strength of what's deep down in you, that's really going to get you anywhere and everywhere.”

“Be your own biggest critic. Don't let someone else beat you to constructive criticism.”

“Simple jewelry is best - bigger pieces get in the way when I'm baking.”

“I used to exist on just two or three hours of sleep, no problem, like sleep wasn't even a thought. Sleep was just like a chore that you had to do late at night.”

“I was raised by my Depression-era grandma who taught me to use what you've got: Waste not, want not!”

“I make a huge batch of cinnamon buns on Christmas Eve and bake them off early Christmas morning.”

“Nike Air Zooms are what I usually run in. In the kitchen, I wear a beaten-up pair of Converse All-Stars in winter and Keds in summer.”