Want insider info on your favorite Food Network show? Wish you had an expert to answer your burning food questions?

Well, you're in luck. Donatella Arpaia has her hand in many pots. From writing cookbooks and opening restaurants, to appearing on The Today Show and judging the contestants on The Next Iron Chef, she has a lot of experience under her belt (ummm, apron).

As a regular iVillage blogger, Donatella is here to talk to you. Ask her your questions in the comments of this post; she'll be picking some to answer in a future post. 

 --Erica 

photo: Donatella Arpaia

It's so interesting for me to see how the filming gets edited down for TV time. While the judging lasts only a few minutes during an episode, the judging process takes two days of filming per challenge. The tasting is on one day and the deliberation and elimination happens the next day. This means my hair and makeup has to be duplicated exactly for continuity.

We taste everything and discuss the dishes in great length. The chefs work incredibly hard and the competition means so much to them--I never forget that. All the chefs are talented, so it really isn't easy to choose a winner or send someone home. There were definitely times when the voting was not unanimous, but majority ruled.

Taping the eliminations can last hours (even though it only lasts for a few seconds during the actual airing). All the contestants are standing together across from the judges' table and the staring contest begins. I have to do my best to avoid eye contact with them--they are all hoping to read something in the judges' eyes to determine whether they are safe or not.

The production team and crew are all so wonderful, and everyone works so hard to make it all happen. The wardrobe stylist, hair stylist and make-up artists are our saving grace--when you taste so many dishes each and every day, spills happen. If it weren't for our great team, Jeffrey, Anya and I would be in bad shape.

People often ask me if all the disagreements are real, and the answer is yes! We are all passionate, opinionated people. I think it's great that we debate every detail to determine whom the winner and loser should be. I really hope all of you enjoy the second season and look forward to initiating the next Iron Chef into Kitchen Stadium!

--Donatella

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The restaurant isn't expected to open until next spring, and not a lot of information has been released on how the Roots plan to pull off their Twilight theme. Will the food at the restaurant be vampire-friendly fare? I almost don't want to imagine what that would be. There are plenty of Twilight fans in our own iVillage community that I'm sure would love to dine at Volterra. Are you one of them? 

 --Erica 

photo: M. Tran/getty images

Food Network's Sandra Lee catches a lot of flak from "foodies" about her semi-homemade approach to cooking, but isn't semi-homemade better than completely store-bought? Turns out, mega-star Angelina Jolie thinks so. According to People.com, the actress whipped up Lee's No-Bake Birthday Cake for her son Maddox's big day.

 Lee herself was thrilled at the news, "I'm very proud not just that she made my cake but that someone of her stature isn't delegating these [tasks], like her children's birthday, to other people. I'm glad she loves the show and that the kids apparently also watch it too."

 I'm impressed that Jolie has time to even semi-make a cake--with 6 kids, a career and a constant flow of philanthropic endeavors, she's clearly very busy. In my opinion, a cake made from scratch beats out one you buy in a store any day of the week, but I also don't see anything wrong in buying a prepared product when time won't permit you to bake. I'm willing to bet even the most fervent home-cooks turn to convenience products now and again. Do you make your kids' birthday cakes from scratch?

 --Erica 

photo: F. Harrison /getty images; J. Shearer/getty images

I flew out of New York's LaGuardia airport last weekend. I left directly from work Friday night to catch a 7 p.m. flight. Arriving at the airport around 6, I found myself hungry for dinner with nowhere to eat except the US Airways terminal food court. With McDonald's or a greasy slice of pizza as my only quick-meal options, I boarded the plane hungry.

Fast-forward a few months from now and I may not have to suffer the same hunger pains. Celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto (most well-known for his position as an Iron Chef on Food Network's Iron Chef America) is planning to launch a new airport restaurant chain called Skewers. The restaurants will feature a variety of grilled or deep-fried meats and vegetables known as yakitori. These days, travelers are so often plagued with plane delays and long layovers that I think having better food options at airports would greatly improve the travel experience. I've had more meals than I care to remember stuck in random airports, and I can't say I recall any of them as being tasty.

How do you feel about the food options at the airport near you? Would you be excited to dine on Iron Chef-supported grub? Morimoto's partner in the venture, Delaware North, said it plans to introduce the concept at larger airports in urban locations. I certainly hope LaGuardia is on that list!

 --Erica 

photo: a. h. walker/getty images

My food stylist, Jee Levine, is the culinary Picasso. She styled the plates so effortlessly and so beautifully. She has worked with so many great chefs--I was really excited that she loved my recipes.

My prop stylist, Philippa Brathwaite, has such an eye for prop styling. She pulled such amazing tableware, accessories and surfaces. I had to stop myself from buying a lot of what we borrowed!

And finally, there is my photographer, Anna Williams. She is so talented and is such a beautiful person. She also happens to be eight months pregnant. Every day we thought she was going to have the baby. I was so nervous when she would climb up on a stool or edge off a sofa to get a different camera angle. At one point there was a labor scare, but luckily it was a false alarm.

During the second week of shooting we tackled lifestyle photography. Not only were we cooking and styling recipes, but I was in the pictures as well. My hairstylist, Davide, joined a make-up artist and wardrobe stylist to get every look just right. While at one of the locations, my mother and niece came by. Anna took so many great photos of all of us. My mother also helped Jee in the kitchen--it was a blast. It was so nice to have my mother be a part of this experience.

My book is being published by Rodale, Inc. and will be available this spring.

--Donatella

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photo: donatella arpaia 

Last week, following an introductory speech by Bill Clinton, Rachel Ray, Allan Houston and Dr. Mehmet Oz participated in a panel discussion moderated by Tara Parker Pope, "Well Being" columnist for the New York Times. All the panelists provided tips to parents on helping their kids develop healthy eating habits. Houston named consistency as the key to getting picky eaters to eat their vegetables. Ray emphasized the need for getting kids in the kitchen with you as a way to not only teach them about good eating habits, but to empower them. 

As a child, I was a very picky eater. I subsisted on grilled cheeses, chicken nuggets and peanut butter sandwiches (no crust). Fortunately, I outgrew my picky ways. These days I find it hard to find foods I don't enjoy. I eat a well-rounded diet and maintain a healthy weight. My parents never really forced me to eat foods I didn't want. That said, they made good choices regarding the items I would eat. We never had sugary cereals in the house, I ate my pb&j's on whole wheat bread and soda was on the No Fly List. While I think introducing your kids to fruits and vegetables and teaching them to have a healthy, well-rounded diet is an extremely important part of raising your child, I also believe that even small changes are a move in the right direction. Maybe your little one refuses to eat her broccoli, but will she know the difference if you swap in natural peanut butter for the preservative-packed, sugar-laden variety?

There are nearly 25 million obese or overweight children in the United States today (and the number is increasing). It's clear we need to take action to fight the obesity epidemic. What are you doing to help your kids learn about healthy eating?

--Erica 

photo: jennifer lawinsky

--Erica

photo: getty images

There are more than a few things wrong with many of the foods we are consuming these days. It seems that while we're more and more interested in food quality and being eco-friendly, we're still stuffing our faces with factory-farmed, chemical-laden meats. The folks from Coleman Natural Foods are trying to change all that (they've been at it for 135 years now) with their eco-conscious, healthy food products. I recently chatted with Coleman COO John Bogert about what's going on with our country's food, and what his company is doing to help.

--Erica

Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Onion

Mustard Mashed Potatoes

Shaved Fennel-Celery Salad

Maple Custards

photo: kate sears

I'm not a big fan of fast-food restaurants, so it would take more than a decor change to get me in the door. (Start sourcing local and organic meat and produce and I'm there.) What do you think-- are you intrigued by Burger King's new look?

--Erica

photo: yahoo.com

"Gourmet magazine will cease monthly publication, but we will remain committed to the brand, retaining Gourmet's book publishing and television programming, and Gourmet recipes on Epicurious.com. We will concentrate our publishing activities in the epicurean category on Bon Appétit."

Let's all put down our forks and take a moment of silent chewing to honor the late, great Gourmet.

--Erica 

photo: nydailynews.com

· Baked spinach Fusilli with Smoked Mozzarella and Hearty Ragu
· Beef Meatballs
· Tangerines with Lemon, Mint and Pop Rocks

The baked spinach fusilli is a very sneaky trick for moms and dads. This is a great way to get veggies into your kids without them having a clue! The ragu comes from the sauce the meatballs are cooked in - tying both dishes together. My meatballs aren't fried, but browned in a pan and then simmered in sauce (which means less fat and less cleanup!). It's a great dish to make a big batch of and reheat later in the week. For dessert, the tangerines keep it healthy and the pop rocks make it fun. Something we use in one of my restaurant is pastry rocks, the more gourmet version of pop rocks candies. These do not have any artificial colors or flavors and can be purchased online at ChefRubber.com. Of course, conventional pop rocks have the same effect!

Matt Lauer hosted the segment and he's always fun to work with! As it often goes on live television, segments can be cut short at a moment's notice. I wasn't able to talk about my fun dessert because of a time issue, but right before the commercial break they show me at the judges table, sprinkling the pastry rocks! It was a competition-- but all for fun-- and we had a great time prepping before the live taping.

Who won, you ask? The segment is still available online so check it out here!

--Donatella

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I've never felt weird about asking for my food to be wrapped up. In fact, most restaurants will ask if you would like your food "to-go" if there is some left on your plate. How do you feel about taking home a doggie bag?

--Erica 

photos: Getty Images