21 years ago when I started cooking, to be a cook meant that you were going to stay in the basement. Being a chef, you would never be on a book tour. You could never dream that 20 years later on you would be on a book tour. It wasn't a part of your dreams because it was just totally unrealistic. When did cooks - restaurant cooks, not cooks that have 15,000 television shows - when did cooks become part of pop culture the way they are?

I would love to eat a really great burger, but it doesn't exist in our part of the world.

The drive for working comes from everyday moments - the thrill of experiencing a young cook succeeding in what they thought was an impossible job, as well as guests being happy. I also love the unknown - discovering new things and trying to make sense of them.

A gastronomical supermeal didn't necessarily have to involve the things I had brought from other top kitchens.

Fine dining is an occasional treat for most people.

The restaurant industry is brutal.

My last meal on Earth, I would love it to be a bowl of blueberries with cold cream.