As we say in the American Institute of Wine and Food, small helpings, no seconds. A little bit of everything. No snacking. And have a good time.

You have to eat to cook. You can't be a good cook and be a noneater. I think eating is the secret to good cooking.

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.

Many of the delicious soups you eat in French homes and little restaurants are made just this way, with a leek-and-potato base to which leftover vegetables or sauces and a few fresh items are added.

Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health.

You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.

In France cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. I think the French enjoy the complication of the art form and the cooking for cooking's sake. You can talk with a concierge or police officer about food in France as a general rule. It is not the general rule here. Classical cuisine, which I hope we are going back to, means certain ways of doing things and certain ways of not doing things. If you know classical French cooking you can do anything. If you don't know the basics, you turn out slop.