What were your favorite foods growing up?
With the staple food at home being pasta, some of my favorite meals growing up were Italian classics like ravioli, lasagna, and eggplant rollatini. And I particularly enjoyed linguine with clam sauce on Friday nights, all of which were always made from scratch. Rolling the dough and churning it through the pasta maker by hand turned the meal into an event. Plus, as the daughter of a foodie, I developed an appreciation for dining out and sampling exotic flavors very young, and cultivated a taste for things like gruyere and carmelized onions on a burger while my friends preferred two all-beef patties with special sauce!

When did you decide to go green?
There had been elements of 'green' to my lifestyle since my college days, with basics like riding a bike to minimize vehicle pollution, recycling and conserving water but I made a commitment to more wholly embrace an organic/eco-centric way of life in anticipation of motherhood. I wanted to bring a child into a cleaner, healthier world, and have focused on ways to reduce my carbon footprint in all aspects of my life -- especially through my love of cooking and even through my business and professional endeavors.

Where and when did your love for food begin?
Growing up in an Italian household that revolved around food, my love for cooking -- and enjoying fine cuisine -- began at a very early age. I started making my signature pancakes at five years old with strawberry jam and cream cheese (which was later replaced by farmer's cheese as I got older), and would help my grandmother make and season all of her dishes. By the time I was ten, I was already a "master saute-er," achieving the perfect golden brown-ness and consistency in garlic and onions, and instead of wanting a Barbie for my birthday like other girls my age, I asked for my own set of pots and pans!

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My grandmother was a wonderful chef and taught me the most about the 'art' of cooking -- how to season to taste, experiment with flavors, and pay close attention to colors and aromas. She could tell when something was done simply by the 'right smell.' She also instilled in me the importance of experiencing the food with all of my senses, so I enjoy the preparation -- the textures of the ingredients, the scent of the spices etc. -- as much as savoring the foods themselves. I am also addicted to cooking shows and always pick up new tips and ideas by watching the masters and top chefs at work.

What influences your cooking style?
Having been fortunate enough to have traveled to all over the world, and living in various cities throughout the US and abroad, I have been exposed to many cultures and food styles that have influenced me along the way. But food is an integral part of my life, so any encounter that I have with food influences my style in some way -- a great meal at a restaurant, a friend's specialty dish, or a technique I watch on the Food Network. For me, cooking is an evolutionary process and my skills and style are constantly changing based on each new food experience I have. It's also influenced by my mood or even the season. The other day, for example, I made a very autumnal meal consisting of pumpkin gnocchi in a white wine sauce with cinnamon and pecans. It was warm and toasty and inspired by the fall weather and colors of the leaves changing, so literally anything that comes into my purview on a daily basis makes it's way into my cooking somehow.

Now that you are a mom, what has changed in your eating life?
Aside from the fact that I no longer have the luxury of dining out as much as I did before, I find that I am cooking a lot more -- and not just quick, minute-type meals, but lavish entrees and courses. I like being able to hand select the ingredients that my family consumes, and I can use the time at home to experiment with different food combinations and add non-traditional organic elements to my dishes that are loaded with health benefits such as barley grass and alfalfa sprouts. I also add some maca root powder to things like yogurt and oatmeal, which when consumed raw, is considered a superfood. And smoothies, overflowing with organic fresh fruits, soy milk and green tea powder, have become a staple item in my house. I love that I am able to create healthy meals that are as flavorful as they are beneficial.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
I absolutely can't live without my Lodge seasoned cast iron skillet. It's infinitely better than the non-stick options for cooking evenly, and I love the benefits of transferring it directly from the range to the oven. I also think it infuses a warmth to the ingredients that you can't achieve with a stainless steel pan. And it's so versatile; you can create any meal from pan roasting a swordfish steak to grilling a pork chop or even toasting a tuna melt. My other kitchen 'must haves' include a whisk, paring knife, silicone spatula, box grater and my OXO vegetable steamer, which steams veggies to perfection while maintaining the integrity of the color, flavor and nutrients.

What is your favorite secret green ingredient?
The beauty of cooking green is that just about anything you choose is a secret ingredient because they're all packed with pure flavor, free of chemicals and the harsh effects of genetically-engineered processes. But my favorite green ingredient, loaded with health benefits and versatile enough to complement any dish is organic spirulina. Like all edible dark green plants, it's highly alkalizing so it helps restore the acid-base balance in your body, neutralizing the acidity caused by eating excess meats, starches, sugars, soft drinks and preserved foods. It can also help counteract the effects of environmental pollutants, alcohol, coffee and tobacco. I also love cooking with coconut oil, which has nourishing benefits for the hair, skin, and nails, and adds a subtly sweet note to any recipe.

What makes a cooking style green?
Most people associate cooking 'green' with vegan or vegeterian dishes, but green cooking is simply about cooking in a sustainable and socially responsible manner -- something which anyone can adopt to help minimize the negative effects on the environment while creating bold flavors. From using organic vegetables and purchasing only ingredients that come in recycling packaging to being mindful of the amount of electricity you are using or buying energy-efficient stoves, cooking green is a way of life. Even planning meals in advance (especially when it comes to foods that spoil easily) to help reduce leftovers that results in less waste is an element of cooking green. My trusty iron skillet is also a great green alternative because it is heavily oiled metal vs. chemically-processed so it keeps harmful pollutants out of the environment -- and out of your food. It is also fully recyclable since it's a hunk of iron that can be melted down.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I want to eat green, what should I be eating?
One of the greatest benefits of a green lifestyle is that there are natural health and weight loss benefits to cooking with organic meats and veggies that are free of the hormones and pesticides that wreak havoc on the body -- and your metabolism, so you're already one step ahead of the game. Steaming your veggies is a great way to preserve the nutrients while locking in flavor and is very low in calories. A cup of squash and zucchini, for example, is less than 30 calories, and seasoned with a dash of kosher salt, it's a savory side dish to accompany something like a grilled free-range chicken, glazed with balsamic vinegar and topped with plump organic tomatoes. Cooking with flax seed oil can help as well since it contains a high percentage of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which promotes weight loss. I'm also a big fan of pureed artichoke hearts which is a fantastic accent for enriching the flavors of meat, fish or even on whole wheat pasta that is kind to the waistline. And if you're craving a snack, hummus and organic pita chips are a tasty, low cal option.

What is your least favorite food? Why?
Beets. Despite the fact that everything was cooked fresh in my house growing up, this brightly colored mystery vegetable, pickled in a can, always seemed to make it's way to our holiday table. So, I never developed a taste for them. And while their natural ruby red pigment is appealing for food presentation with health benefits rivaling spinach, I've yet to find a dish in which their unique flavor is complementary.

What is your beverage of choice?
Non-alcoholic-wise , I love ginseng soda. GinsengUP makes a variety of flavors that are a great alternative to caffeinated sodas and beverages. I've also begun drinking acai berry juice recently for its natural antioxident benefits. When it comes to wine, it depends on my meal but I typically prefer the jammy notes of red zins that are much less oaky than their tannin-rich cousins. And Cakebread is my favorite purveyor of whites that are crisp, buttery and smooth, a perfect pairing for seafood and just about any summer fare.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing? I've definitely noticed that more chefs are going organic, choosing those ingredients for optimal flavor, and helping to spark green consciousness among foodies around the world. Food personalities such as Emeril are also putting tremendous support behind cooking green with initiatives like 'Emeril Green,' giving it widespread appeal, and demonstrating that you don't have to compromise taste or depth of flavor to go green in the kitchen. Chefs like Dan Barber of Blue Hill Restaurant in New York with his original combinations of well sourced foods, Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, bearing tribute to the art of farmhouse-style cooking and Alain Passard of L'Arpège in Paris, who pulled meat from his menu to focus his creative energies on vegetables are also championing this important effort, bringing a fashionable edge to fine green dining. And ethically-charged culinary trends like 'nose-to-tail' eating, where you consume all elements of the animal are inspiring some inventive dishes.

What is your best cooking green tip for a home enthusiast?
For the true home enthusiast looking to incorporate green into their cooking, I highly recommend Alice Waters'book, The Art of Simple Food, which contains tips and tricks for adopting green habits in the kitchen that are easy to implement -- and maintain. The only other piece of advice I'd give is to be open-minded and not be afraid to reach for organic alternatives to staples like butter and flour, and experiment with different types of oils and herbs. One of the other tremendous things about cooking green is the ability to break free from convention and try innovative combinations with unusual -- yet highly beneficial -- ingredients. I suspect some of the hottest new food sensations will be the result of green-infused culinary concoctions.