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.

When you acknowledge, as you must, that there is no such thing as perfect food, only the idea of it, then the real purpose of striving toward perfection becomes clear: to make people happy, that is what cooking is all about.

I can make dough in a machine faster than I can make it by hand, but I want to make it by hand, because I want to remember the way it feels. It's so important for me to make it by hand - whether it's a pasta dough or a pâte brisée. You become involved in it. You become personal with it. For me it's such a wonderful way to get satisfaction and gratification when I'm cooking.

I think if you can take one or two things from a cookbook, it's successful.

And don't forget music - music in the kitchen is an essential ingredient!

I wanted to learn everything I could about what it takes to be a great chef. It was a turning point for me.

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.