The book is there for inspiration and as a foundation, the fundamentals on which to build.

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

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

Repetition is the mother of perfection. If there is true perfection, it's about doing something over and over again. I truly think that if somebody does a recipe they've never done before and gets it right, they're probably more lucky than they are talented.

Hopefully, imparting what's important to me, respect for the food and that information about the purveyors, people will realize that for a restaurant to be good, so many pieces have to come together.

I didnt want to be encumbered by what anyone elses abilities were, their equipment or environment or their ability to get certain products.

I drank more wine when I wasn't working as much, to be honest.