When I was 27, if I didn't put 15 things in one dish I wasn't happy.

One thing I always say is being a great chef today is not enough - you have to be a great businessman.

I would say that I mostly use Kosher Salt for seasoning my water and flour. I love sea salt, too. I think both are just fine, as long as it's not iodized salt.

Young people want to be famous before they know how to cook, before they know how to treat people, before they know what hospitality means. I stayed in France for seven years and Austria for three, so before I was a chef anywhere I was already cooking for 10 years.

When you have made as many mistakes as I have, then you can be as good as me.

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

Now everybody thinks that once you do Top Chef, then 13 weeks later you're a chef. Nobody wants to learn to cook anymore.