My childhood wasn't full of wonderful culinary memories.

We rely on our purveyors to tell us what's available and what's good.

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

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

You're getting to know who the great chefs are through their books.

Cooking is not about convenience and it's not about shortcuts. Our hunger for the twenty-minute gourmet meal, for one-pot ease and prewashed, precut ingredients has severed our lifeline to the satisfactions of cooking. Take your time. Take a long time. Move slowly and deliberately and with great attention.

Success is measured by the memories you create.