Spice is life. It depends upon what you like... have fun with it. Yes, food is serious, but you should have fun with it.

My family... always had the value of the family table and these cultural influences of growing up.

You have to be cautious of eating continuously the same thing. Beef comes to mind right away, and there's nothing wrong with beef, but you've got to do whatever you're doing in moderation. So try to break it up a little bit. Eat some fish or some shellfish at least a couple of times a week.

If you don't follow your dream, who will?

You know, for 300 years it's been kind of the same. There are restaurants in New Orleans that the menu hasn't changed in 125 years, so how is one going to change or evolve the food?

My office in New York is overflowing with all kinds of cookbooks, and in New Orleans we have a huge culinary library. So yeah, I guess I'm a little bit obsessed.

Spain has some of the richest culinary traditions and truly appreciates food that is simply prepared with top-notch ingredients.