I want to give people a basic education, and to help them think for themselves when it comes to food.

I grew up in Austria, and for me real comfort food is Wiener Schnitzel. Wiener Schnitzel and mashed potatoes because it reminds me of my youth... It reminds me when I grow up and it feels very comforting.

New Yorkers think they have everything, all the best art and music. But really L.A. is a better place.

To me, an airplane is a great place to diet.

I like to be firm. But it is easier to be nice than to be nasty.

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.

I want to teach [people] the secret of great visual presentation. Your stomach sees the food first, and I want to help them match food flavor profiles with the aesthetics of everything.