One of the things I've found now, not just for television, but in the restaurant, is that you have many anxious chefs, who know how to cook twenty recipes really well, but they don't have a good foundation for other things.

It's easier being a judge than a competitor. As a judge, you don't have any risks. That makes it much more enjoyable.

I love strong flavors too. Like I don't mind if it looks clean and clear and you know what you are eating if it has Italian, Chinese or Japanese flavor I love them all.

Italian food is all about ingredients and it's not fussy and it's not fancy.

I think the time of the formal dinners is over.

A lot of chefs are traditional and do it very well. But the ones who are the most successful are the ones who change things. That is why someone like Heston Blumenthal is a genius.

America has undergone a total food and wine revolution.