You cannot get an influence from the cuisine of a country if you don't understand it. You've got to study it.
Creativity means not copying.
What's wrong with transforming food?
I had a very normal childhood, and my mother cooked very normal food.
Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster.
Everywhere the sky is blue. There are a multitude of cuisines and dishes. I think of them as the languages and dialects of food.