I believe Fernand Point is one of the last true gourmands of the 20th century. His ruminations are extraordinary and thought-provoking. He has been an inspiration for legions of chefs.

They know what my standards are. They know what I need and how to get it to me, and they know how to communicate with me if for some reason they can't get it.

In any restaurant of this caliber, the chefs are in the same position, building relationships.

I wanted to write about what we were doing at the French Laundry, the recipes and the stories.

The law of diminishing returns is something I really believe in.

I have no formal culinary training, right.

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.