What were your favorite foods growing up?
Semolina gnocchi, no contest. My mother made it for dinner parties with braised short ribs of beef. My sisters and I fought over the crusty edges that were left behind. I make semolina gnocchi for my kids and now they fight over the pan.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
Cooking has always been in my blood, so perhaps, becoming a chef was inevitable.

Memories from my childhood usually involve food and/or a kitchen. My sisters and I became competitive bakers in grade school. We had no television, and dinner was the most important event in a day. As a teenager, I was introduced to a brave new culinary world as my family traveled through Latin America and Europe. In college I cooked and cooked-- for a catering company, a cooking school, a gourmet food store and for friends. Cooking made me happy. Cooking made others happy. It was a win-win.

But it took another five years before I found my way into a restaurant kitchen after a kick in the pants from Sara Moulton, Nancy Verde Barr and Julia Child. Once there, I was hooked, hooked on the beautiful and wild ingredients, cooking, restaurants and the people.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My mother first stepped out of the 1960's Joy of Cooking/ Family Circle culinary repertoire by shopping in Federal Hill, the Italian section of Providence where I grew up. She cracked open Elizabeth David's Italian Food and cooked things like semolina gnocchi, braised beef with black olives and fennel gratinee. I was hooked on the big bold flavors. Later, while working for Nancy Verde Barr, a food writer and teacher of Italian cooking, I learned a lot about regional specialties, pasta above all.

How would you describe your cuisine?
The kitchen focus hops to a different region of Italy every other month. Some of those regions' culinary traditions are more suitable to one season than another, so that plays into our thinking. Figuring out how to weave New England ingredients into those traditions is another. Italians don't have bluefish, for example, but they do have fatty, dark meat fish that you might see served with a sweet and sour preparation, and sometimes we can make a connection like that.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
Not very original, but my Misono carbon steel chef's knife. It's part of me. I also couldn't live without a Microplane and a new discovery, my tiny red rubber spatula.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Dukkah: an Egyptian nut and spice mix. I put in on everything from eggs to ice cream and I've seen it on tables from Iceland to South Africa. It's addictive and packs a big flavor punch.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
An appreciation for the importance of cultural differences is hardwired into me, and at the same time, how universal simple acts of hospitality are. Over the years, the Rialto team has been a small United Nations: El Salvador, Haiti, Brazil, Nepal, Peru, Mexico, Lebanon, Russia, Croatia, South Africa, are some of the countries that have been represented.

I believe that each person who walks into Rialto, whether a member of my team or a guest, whether they have 5 houses or none, whether they're a dishwasher or a venture capitalist, has something equally important to contribute and, I am proud to say, I am known for this.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
Pretty much anything on the menu will be fine. I use lots of vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish and big flavored seasonings like herbs, zests and spices. My Parisian friend, who is a harsh critic of over-sized American portions, tells me my portions are correct. I trust her. Although I love a little butter, cream and bacon, when I do use them it's with a light hand to add flavor and texture to a dish.

What is your least favorite food?
I can't say that I have one now. It used to be hot cereal, but I've kind of cozied up to steel cut oatmeal with sea salt these days. Although my mother was an adventurous cook and we tried everything, breakfasts were miserable affairs that came in 3 variations: 1) a soft boiled egg, often slightly undercooked; 2) cold unsweetened cereal--sugared cereals weren't allowed in house and adding sugar was forbidden; 3) hot cereal-- oatmeal or cream of wheat--again, with no additional sugar. I didn't like any of them.

What is your beverage of choice?
I always drink wine with meals. That said, in the summer I sometimes preface wine with a Margarita or Mojito, but only if made from scratch; in cold weather, a really good scotch, say a Macallen 18. I've recently started to appreciate good beer since my son and husband have begun brewing IPA at our house. There's nothing like something cold and hoppy to take care of thirst and hunger after working out. But at heart I'm a wine drinker. Wine makes me happy. It is, I believe, an integral part of a meal and therefore of life!

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
I'm betting on Michael Pollen's motto "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Whole grains and heirloom beans are going to move off the margins and become really mainstream. I think vegetables are going to be a lot sexier too.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
Italy. There are 20 different regions, so 20 different cuisines that are influenced by every conceivable culinary culture from Arab to French to German to Greek to Indian.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Start with recipes and ingredients that are familiar and that you love to eat.

What do you eat when you are home?
We shop more often than not at the farmer's market. Our food is essentially a simpler version of what I serve at Rialto. My husband, who is a great cook, does most of the cooking so I eat whatever he has cooked.