CATHERINE ZETA-JONES LEARNS TO COOK IN 'NO RESERVATIONS'

Playing a chef in No Reservations changed the way Catherine Zeta-Jones looks at food because she trained in a restaurant for nearly three weeks. 'I have a new appreciation for what goes on backstage,' the Oscar winner told reporters at the No Reservations premiere held in NYC July 25. 'I'm always eating fast. Now I try to take time to savor each bite because of those people back there.'Chef Michael Wright, who was a technical advisor on the film, taught the mother of two how to sautee scallops, season dishes and drizzle oil and sauces on plates. 'My kitchen loved having a beautiful woman like Catherine in the kitchen,' Michael, who is a chef partner at NYC's Alto and executive chef at NYC's L'Impero. 'It was a lot of fun. We teach new chefs on a daily basis. It's natural for us to show people how to cook.'It certainly worked for the 37-year-old actress, who now cooks at home. 'I do!' Catherine exclaimed. I do now. Never before. For somebody who could barely boil water, it was a bit of an experience. My favorite dish is scallops. I love fish in general. I'm a bit of a fisherwoman myself.' Is there anything we don't know about the Welsh superstar, who has been married to Michael Douglas since 2000?'She likes to knit between takes,' director Scott Hicks told OK! 'At the end of the film, we gave her an antique Burmese spinning wheel for her house in Bermuda, which she enjoyed because it played into that whole world of knitting. It's one of the things she does to relax between takes because shooting can be quite intense and stressful. It's a good thing for an actor to do. They can zone out in between times.'No Reservations is in theaters this weekend.By Valerie Nome Photo: Wireimage.com