I'd just like to begin by saying that your show was one of the reasons I got into cooking and food culture studies. Back during my senior year in high school, I used to work out watching Molto Mario everyday, listening to you talk about Italian foods and the regions they came from and watching you prepare the food was part of a daily routine. It seems odd that I used to work out and watch the Food Network but I found myself more interested in the techniques used and the knowledge shared than in the meal itself. These days I'm working on writing a thesis on American casual and domestic cooking culture. My question for you has to do with your thoughts on ingredients and the diet craze. One person I interviewed said somthing that really stuck out to me. He said that although he may not be eating according to Atkins or Low-Carb diets, he finds himself cooking and planning what he cooks with these diets in mind. While a hearty lasagna or spaghetti carbonara will do for him, he doesn't feel comfortable serving such things as a main dish for guests. What are your thoughts on the low-carb craze and what is/is not being sacrificed as a result? Although you may not necessarily follow it or feel the need to consider it in your own cooking and in your restaurants, do you think that its presence in America now is jeopardizing American cuisine and its international influences or traditions?
