My mother would put me on a wooden box at the stove and tell me to call her if certain things would happen. Like if the steam turns blue, that is danger!

When you've got a great business going, you go open another and take the risk of losing the whole thing. It's fun!

We closed the restaurant in New Orleans and brought the entire staff to San Francisco. But we had to go home.

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.

Creole is New Orleans city food. Communities were created by the people who wanted to stay and not go back to Spain or France.

One of my missions was to teach.

I believe in America. I'm one of those silly flag wavers.