My reasons for becoming a chef are somewhat of a cliche. I always loved to eat but it was watching my parents cook that really served as the impetus for my career choice.

I woke up on May 15, 1991, the day of my Barnard graduation, and I said to myself, 'By the end of today you will decide what you want to do with the rest of your life.'

I used to sleep with the phone right by my pillow but I'm getting better. Now it sits on the table a few feet away.

Food is ever-changing and ever moving forward and getting more and more complex.

I don't show just anyone how to crust a sea bass. That's sacred information.

The better the ingredients, the more farmers I can buy from, the closer I feel to the food I want to make that represents what I care about as a chef.

If you want to have a relationship, at some point you have to let yourself get caught. That's what I did. I got caught.