Everything important I learned, I learned as a dishwasher.

The cookbooks I value the most in my collection are the ones where you hear the author's voice and point-of-view in every recipe.

An employer of mine back in the '80s was kind enough to take me on after a rough patch, and it made a big difference in my life that I knew I was the sort of person who showed up on time. It's a basic tell of character.

I wasn't that great a chef, and I don't think I'm that great a writer.

I didn't want food that looked unapproachable or ridiculously beautiful.

A good, stinky French cheese or a good Stilton. These are things I really, really love. Dessert I can obviously live without.

Let's at least acknowledge who is working in America right now and what our needs are, as well as the moral question of somebody who's been here 20 years, paying taxes to which they probably do not receive a refund, and not committing any crimes, working hard, and supporting an industry. Shouldn't there be some middle ground here? Shouldn't there be a way for them to be welcome in this country?