Good french cooking cannot be produced by a zombie cook.

This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!

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.

Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it's done right. Even a pancake.

Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.

The shellfish thing is very scary. You have to know the people you buy from and exactly where their wholesalers are getting the fish from.

Always remember: If you're alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who's going to know?