I think there's a tendency to over-jack and over-umami food these days.

No one understands and appreciates the American Dream of hard work leading to material rewards better than a non-American.

Being on television, being recognizable, this is unnatural.

I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime 'associates,' food, for me, has always been an adventure

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

Good food and good eating are about risk.

Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.