...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.

A cookbook is only as good as its poorest recipe.

It's a shame to be caught up in something that doesn't absolutely make you tremble with joy.

But I was a pure romantic, and only operating with half my burners turned on.

I don't use the word gourmet. The word doesn't mean anything anymore. 'Gourmet' makes it sound like someone is putting sherry wine in the corn-flake casserole.

No one's more important than people.

I believe in red meat. I often said: red meat and gin.