"I love Housewives all over the world. You really make it beautiful to be a housewife. From doing the house work, maintaining the family, and careers, and loving it. I truly enjoy working from home and I hope to inspire young women everywhere to enjoy being yourself. I want to bring home cooking with a culinary twist to families everywhere. I want to teach as I learn new things I want my viewers to learn and grow with me." ~Falan Taylor

Being a home-maker takes quite a lot of energy, and we all can share in the repetitive confusion of whats to be for dinner. Well, Falan Taylor has taken being a housewife to an entirely new level. After her stay in Italy, she began to form a love affair with food and cooking (who wouldn't, while living in Italy), so she powered up the nerve to attend a culinary arts school and has been on the cooking move ever since. In her current book entitled: Housewife Cuisine, she shares simple, easy, and delicious recipes for ladies on the go, and you can also catch her on-line by watching her webisodes and cook right along with her...how perfect is that! Falan shares with us some of her inspiration, kitchen must-haves, and dishes out her favorite foods. Enjoy:

ymib: What was the culinary and creative life/inspiration like while living in Italy, and how did that atmosphere effect your goals of becoming a chef?

Falan:Everyday people. I had the opportunity to see how giving Italian families are. They want to feed absolutely everyone. I was invited to so many homes, and that really inspired me to cook professionally because I wanted to learn authentic Italian cuisine

ymib: What are some of the basic elements/tools/appliances that one should try to have in their kitchens to cook up some great tasting food?

Falan:Everyone should have a great knife and cutting board. I love Santoku knives by Henckels, Wusthof, and Messemiester. Bamboo cutting boards are my favorite. You also need a great non stick skillet and pot. While using non stick it cuts down on the amount of fat used in cooking. Although I love my cast iron skillet. One skillet of cast iron can last a lifetime. There are also some of my favorite essentials on my websites on-line store.

ymib: What are some of your favorite ways/things to garnish entrees and desserts?

Falan:I love parsley and chives.I usually use herbs and vegetables. Pineapple tops are great garnishes. The petals are firm and resistant to bruising and makes fruit trays look fantastic.

ymib: What do you hope to accomplish with Housewife Cuisine and your monthly episodes, and what are some other culinary goals that you would like to incorporate within your career?

Falan:I want to have a nationally syndicate show someday. locally is just fine for right now. I am looking for work as a Personal Chef now to pay the bills of the show and looking for sponsors to help since we were non profit for almost two years. I offer catering as well and I just want to show the world that Housewives are AMAZING cooks too!

ymib: Who are some of your favorite Cooking & Entertaining influences and why, also, other than your own, do you have any favorite cook books or entertaining books that are a must have for your kitchen?

Falan:Get the Food Lover's Companion. Its a guide to everything culinary. I watched Racheal Ray when I was 16 years old and she basically influenced me to want to be in television. I was a new bride and her meals were simple and easy. Once I conquered her recipes I became engulfed with learning more and began seeking formal training when I arrived in Italy. I wanted to know all I could. I am still in training and admit to making mistakes on the show. I never said I knew it all and my imperfections and lack of extensive formal training allows me to call my style Housewife Cuisine TM. I really love incorporating my self taught skills with my formal training.

ymib: Could you please share one of your favorite recipes that would be great for those who only eat vegetarian/seafood from your book?

Falan:I am not much of a meat eater either but I have to say that I am not complete vegetarian, although I tried (missed fried chicken way to much). I would have to say try my Shrimp Scampi on page 46 of my book.

ymib: Top 5 cooking & planning tips for a stay at home lady and mother?

1.)Think ahead

2.) Clip coupons and use them

3.) Cook in larger quantities and freeze

4.) Keep in simple with 5 ingredients or less.

5.) Get the kids and the hubby involved with clean up. ("If they can eat it all up then clean it all up")

ymib: Thus far what has been your most memorable dinner event/experience that you have either planned or been to?

Falan:I vividly remember making Spaghetti and meat sauce for my then fiance now husband at 16 . I forgot to add the spaghetti sauce and I was panicking trying to figure out a way to stretch the sauce so I rushed to the refrigerator and started squeezing ketchup into the pot. I realized after the bottle was near empty, that the Ragu bottle behind the dirty pots and pans. I breathed a sigh of relief and added it. He loved it and married me .

ymib: Please share with us your personal favorites of the following:

Beverage:Cran apple mint cooler ( my new summer creation)

Appetizer: Cannellini bean dip with warm pita bread

Entree: Eggplant Parmesan

Dessert: Chocolate bread pudding and Tres Leches cake

Restaurant: Any Greek restaurant. I love Mediterranean cuisine!

Visit Falan at: Housewifecuisine.com and be sure to download her book: Housewife Cuisine for some fabulous recipes!