Respect for food is respect for life, for who we are and what we do.

A cookbook must have recipes, but it shouldn't be a blueprint. It should be more inspirational; it should be a guide.

Its not about passion. Passion is something that we tend to overemphasize, that we certainly place too much importance on. Passion ebbs and flows. To me, it's about desire. If you have constant, unwavering desire to be a cook, then u'll be a great cook.

Whether it's destiny or fate or whatever, I don't think I could do a French Laundry anywhere else.

But once in a while you might see me at In and Out Burger; they make the best fast food hamburgers around.

Let's face it: if you and I have the same capabilities, the same energy, the same staff, if the only thing that's different between you and me is the products we can get, and I can get a better product than you, I'm going to be a better chef.

Any job worth doing is worth doing well. But to be able to do that, you have to do it over and over again.