I would far prefer to have things happen as they naturally do, such as the mousse refusing to leave the mold, the potatoes sticking to the skillet, the apple charlotte slowly collapsing. One of the secrets of cooking is to learn to correct something if you can, and bear with it if you cannot.

I'd like for people to be able to go to the universities and get a degree in fine arts-gastronomy.

...the waiters carried themselves with a quiet joy, as if their entire mission in life was to make their customers feel comfortable and well tended.

If you are going to flip something, you must have the courage of your convictions.

Learn how to cook! That's the way to save money. You don't save it buying hamburger helpers, and prepared foods; you save it by buying fresh foods in season or in large supply, when they are cheapest and usually best, and you prepare them from scratch at home. Why pay for someone else's work, when if you know how to do it, you can save all that money for yourself?

We had a happy marriage because we were together all the time. We were friends as well as husband and wife. We just had a good time.

It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it.