Gail Simmons

“Canada is a big part of my life.”

“You don't get second chances in the real world.”

“Always wear sunscreen and wash your makeup off at night.”

“I sit at this really weird crossroads. My job requires me to take in calories. I take care of myself. I eat healthy. I exercise a lot. But then I have to go to events in cocktail dresses and look fancy, and people want to interview me about what I'm wearing, and then I'm compared to people who are wearing size 2 all the time.”

“I was very, very little - it was the first time I ever cooked on my own, with my mother's supervision - and I made scrambled eggs. I felt so accomplished, like magic!”

“I also have a soft spot for spicy chicken wings. They are always best eaten at dives and sports bars, like Wogie's in the West Village, New York City, near my house.”

“I have a mantra in my head that there will always be another meal. I can put my fork down, knowing there will be good things in my future!”

“When I diced vegetables, it was painstaking work to make sure that every single piece looked the same: 1/4-inch cubed for small, 3/4-inch cubed for large. It's a matter of practice and precision.”

“There are few women in America that don't want to lose 5 pounds, but I refuse to let that thought dominate my life. And there are too many other real problems in the world - real obesity problems and real hunger problems - to worry that much about a few pounds that I'd like to lose.”

“There's not a single chef I know of that does not think about the politics of the food they're serving.”

“There are days when I literally have to eat 17 plates of food - it's intense. It's about moderation. You just need a few bites to get the gist of a dish.”

“I wish I could say I was one of those people who loves working out, but I don't; it's just not that fun. But I make an effort to work out aggressively three times a week.”

“You know, I lose patience really easily; I'd rather shop in the grocery store than in the department store. I can pick an apple like nobody's business.”

“I cannot go to Montreal without going to Beauty's, my favorite place for breakfast, where I have the Mish-Mash omelet with hot dogs, salami, eggs, green peppers, and onions, and the best banana bread in the world. It's legendary!”

“Patience is the secret to good food.”

“Because I travel so much, I bring my workout clothes and shoes wherever I go. That way I can always do some exercise.”

“When I'm cooking for myself, I find that I eat almost completely vegetarian, although I'm not vegetarian.”

“The less you do to beautiful food, the better it's going to taste. You don't need to mess with it all the time.”

“I would not say I'm an aggressive shopper. I want to be; I aspire to be an aggressive shopper. I am a meek, meek shopper.”

“Dark chocolate, and salt and vinegar chips are my weakness - but not together.”