Damaris Phillips

Growing up, our meals consisted primarily of vegetables, and then we had small amounts of meat.

I make my food in such a way that people can eat it every single day. My dad passed away from a heart attack, so it's always been very important for me to make food I love, the food we made growing up, but in a way that it won't be harmful to my body or to the people I love. Just as long as it's not boring. It has to be flavorful and delicious.

I'd like to see kids learning to cook and families sitting down to dinner together.

I really would like to help people get back into the kitchen.

When I think of summertime as a kid, I think of my Grampy's gardens full of tomatoes, buckets heaping with blackberries, and countertops lined with an assortment of Ball jars, ready to can the flavor of summer.

My husband is a vegetarian. So it has really pushed me as a chef. Just thinking about the food that I really relied on as my hunny-hunting foods, that looks different with a vegetarian.

Part of being a really good chef or cook is being able to fix disasters.

The real thing people miss in vegetarian cooking is fat. Fat is flavor. It is delicious.

I'm all about creating fun, new ways to enjoy the delicious dishes left in my refrigerator.

Some companies out there make a great burger; Beyond Beef does a great job. But making a burger at home that feels soul-satisfying and fatty and protein-based while still being plant-based was a challenge.

I love that Christmas lasts for so long. And I love that everybody still believes that magic is going to happen. It's a chance to be reminded that being with people is the most important thing.

I love to make casseroles.