I think the most wonderful thing in the world is another chef. I'm always excited about learning new things about food.

I love people, and I'm excited that I can turn them on.

I didn't want to do just another set of recipes. I think that's useless.

One of the problems of our youth is that the family unit is broken up. When we'd sit down to dinner together as a family, we'd learn about each other. We had something people don't get today.

One of my missions was to teach.

In '71 or '72 I returned to New Orleans and stayed there. I started cooking Louisiana food. Of all the things I had cooked, it was the best-and it was my heritage.

What I think and what the world thinks is totally different.