How Valerie Bertinelli Learned To Cook

Valerie Bertinelli always knew that she wanted to incorporate her love for cooking into her career, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "​​I've been cooking longer than I've been acting," Bertinelli told the outlet. "Acting, now that I look back, was a setup for doing what I love. By cooking on camera, it's a whole different animal than cooking at home. Years of training on camera made me able to just cook on camera, and invite people into my kitchen."

In fact, Bertinelli first learned to cook in her own home kitchen. Per Cheat Sheet, her mother and aunt passed down family recipes when she was just a child. "I would sit in my aunt Adeline's basement and watch my Noni make cappelletti in brodo, gnocchi and her fried bread. I learned to make that — I was 6 years old, probably," the TV personality shared, via Cheat Sheet. Because she fell in love with cooking early on, it's these same homemade recipes that she features on "Valerie's Home Cooking." And while Bertinelli didn't have any formal training, she uses her platform to encourage others who love to cook. "I want people to realize you don't have to be a trained chef," she told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's a chance to be able to spend time with your family, share love and communicate. Our dinner table was a place to reconnect, and food can be that connection."