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.

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

A kaiseki meal is like that, very small courses over a long period of time.

Good food is a good trend.

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

Food is such an important part of our lives, and sometimes we tend to diminish the importance of that, because we rely on conveniences or because our lives are so complicated. We forget about those moments that we can actually share around the table with our family, with our friends, with our loved ones.

Some of the recipes in the book have evolved for us. Many haven't.