I was a romantic, messy thinker. I was raised with very conservative beliefs, but that was a long time ago.

I was kind of an innocent hayseed from a middle-class, utterly nonintellectual background.

I never feel lonely in the kitchen. Food is very friendly.

The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.

Because of media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food do to the digestive system? ... I, for one, would much rather swoon over a few thin slices of prime beefsteak, or one small serving of chocolate mousse, or a sliver of foie gras than indulge to the full on such nonentities as fat-free gelatin puddings.

I think one of the terrible things today is that people have this deathly fear of food: fear of eggs, say, or fear of butter. Most doctors feel that you can have a little bit of everything.

Too much trouble,' 'Too expensive,' or 'Who will know the difference' are death knells for good food. ... Cooking is not a particularly difficult art, and the more you cook and learn about cooking, the more sense it makes.