Star Kitchen: Ellie Krieger

Ellie resides in New York City's Upper West Side with her husband, Thom, and daughter, Bella. Though her kitchen is large by New York City standards, "I've cooked in much smaller kitchens!" Ellie says. "When I was in college, I had an illegal hot plate and a toaster oven. I loved making lasagna in my dorm room. You don't need a huge gourmet kitchen to make good food."

While many chefs rig up their home kitchens with industrial appliances, Ellie opted for a simple fridge and microwave and a basic four-burner stove, similar to the one she uses in her off-site test kitchen. "I didn't want one with a gazillion-BTU burner," she says. "I like to test recipes on a regular range because that's what most people cook on."

Wait, a deep fryer in this house? Not exactly. Ellie, a self-described french-fry fiend, swears by her T-fal ActiFry which uses one tablespoon of oil to make four servings of fries. "Fries are my weakness!" she says.

To get her daughter to actually reach for healthy snacks, Ellie keeps fresh fruit washed, ready to eat and right at Bella's eye level: " She will sit at the counter doing her homework and ask, 'Mom, can I have a kiwi?' I love hearing that!"

Ellie believes no food should be taboo, not even candy. Her daughter gets a "sugar allowance" of three servings daily, which she can spend on portion-controlled treats like mini Tootsie Rolls, stored up here.