Jill Novatt

Title: Executive Culinary Producer

Year you started at FN: 1998

Path at FN: Intern/Associate Producer of Emeril Live and Kitchen Freelancer/Culinary Editor/Culinary Producer/Senior Culinary Producer/Executive Culinary Producer (basically I was an intern who wouldn't leave)

Culinary education/background: Associates degree in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management (Scottsdale Culinary Institute, 1998)

Cuisine you're known for: Lately, toddler cuisine (it's an art getting 2 and 3-year-olds to eat), southwestern, Italian

Favorite food: Porterhouse steak, french fries and cheese - separately or together.

Food you won't go near: Canned tuna in any form packed in anything from any country.

Culinary inspiration: My grandmother Sozio, Julia Child and Food Network circa 1993

Favorite show: Iron Chef

Do you prefer sweet foods or savory: I don't like to take sides.

If you were a condiment, what would you be: Pepperoncini

Funniest behind-the-scenes story: Mario wanted fresh frogs legs for an Iron Chef episode. We could only find frozen or LIVE frogs, so we got the live frogs. No one (including Mario) wanted to separate their bodies from their legs, so we ended up driving them to a park and set them free.