Fernand Point's philosophy instilled what cuisine is all about: generosity and hugeness of heart.
I like food to be really simple but have a lot of technique all the same.
Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.
There are people who claim to be instinctive cooks, who never follow recipes or weigh anything at all. All I can say is they're not very fussy about what they eat. For me, cooking is an exact art and not some casual game.
Good cooking is good cooking, regardless of the price.
I've always been known for bold flavors and rustic cooking, but there is another side to me. As you evolve as a cook, you understand life and how serious it is. There comes a point where there's got to be a better balance.
I don't know what singers feel like when they make a song and people clap along and love it, but when people walk up to me and say the food was outstanding, that's what it is all about. I cook because I like to make people happy.
When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'
Cooking is, to me, the perfect fusion of generosity and selfishness, indeed the resolution of generosity and selfishness, the answer to my torn nature.
In normal life, 'simplicity' is synonymous with 'easy to do,' but when a chef uses the word, it means 'takes a lifetime to learn.'
I love it when a few simple ingredients come together on a plate, and I think, 'Wow, that's a dish.'
I love the alchemy of cooking, the theatre of it. It's creating something.
