Freshness is essential. That makes all the difference.

I'm not wild about those twenty-four hour marinades

As you get older, you shouldn't waste time drinking bad wine.

A party without cake is really just a meeting.

If you're buying tomatoes pick them up and smell them-they should have a lovely perfume. They need to be kept at fifty degrees or above, particularly during the growing season, because that's when they develop their flavor.

the more experience you have, the more interesting cooking is because you know what can happen to the food. In the beginning you can look at a chicken and it doesn't mean much, but once you have done some cooking you can see in that chicken a parade of things you will be able to create.

...nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should.