 Food should be fun. |
| It's one thing you aspire to: someday, you'll be able to write a book. |
| I wanted to write about what we were doing at the French Laundry, the recipes and the stories. |
| It wasn't about mechanics; it was about a feeling, wanting to give someone something, which in turn was really gratifying. That really resonated for me. |
| My favorite wines are Zinfandels. |
| A kaiseki meal is like that, very small courses over a long period of time. |
| We rely on our purveyors to tell us what's available and what's good. |
| Once you understand the foundations of cooking - whatever kind you like, whether it's French or Italian or Japanese - you really don't need a cookbook anymore. |
| Now the restaurants have begun to catch up with the wine-making; there are numerous great restaurants in Napa Valley, and it's wonderful because the people are there for just that: great food and great wine. |
| When I go out to eat, it's usually something moderate in style. |
| I hope the cooks who are working for me now are getting that kind of experience so they can use what they're learning now as a foundation for a great career. |
| The law of diminishing returns is something I really believe in. |
| My childhood wasn't full of wonderful culinary memories. |
| Hopefully, imparting what's important to me, respect for the food and that information about the purveyors, people will realize that for a restaurant to be good, so many pieces have to come together. |
| Your idea of that dish has evolved, and if you're a cook, you can start thinking in different ways about it, maybe even a different way than I think about it. |
| Some of the recipes in the book have evolved for us. Many haven't. |
| I think every young cook wants to write a book. |
| But once in a while you might see me at In and Out Burger; they make the best fast food hamburgers around. |
| Then, as the day progresses, depending on how the product is coming in - for instance, the fish man will fax us and say black bass is great - throughout the day, we'll also make judgment calls and adapt to what's available. |
| You're getting to know who the great chefs are through their books. |
