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.

I wonder if I love the communal act of eating so much because throughout my childhood, with four older brothers and a mom who worked in the restaurant business, I spent a lot of time fending for myself, eating alone - and recognizing how eating together made all the difference.

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.

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

I think that's the important thing - being aware of that inspiration and being able to interpret it into something that's meaningful for you.

I think every young cook wants to write a book.

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