You know, I used to think I was a foodie, and then my wife went to culinary school and basically explained to me that I was just a guy that likes to eat.
I really think I cook good Korean food. I really do, just straight up.
I make a mean cup of coffee, if you give me the right ingredients.
I don't consider myself a food person. I'm no Bobby Flay. I'm no Emeril or Paula Deen, and I'm certainly not Rachael Ray.
Ultimately, I realized that in order to write about food you need to understand everything about cooking, so I moved to New York and enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education.
I have been collecting recipes and information for over 20 years, but three years ago, my editor said to me, 'You're a walking encyclopedia of food, so why don't you do an encyclopedia?'
Ferran Adria making hamburgers... some thought it was crazy. But getting them perfect was a challenge. Plus I'm fascinated by all aspects of food.
No great pastry chef has sweet teeth.
I can't stand going to those sandwich bars where you've got to choose your own stuff, because I don't know what goes together. It does my head in. I'd rather them tell me. I'm not the expert. I haven't spent years learning these different combinations.
I can taste a meal and tell you every spice that's in there. I have taste buds like Betty Grable's legs - they should be insured with Lloyd's of London.
I'm a real food know-it-all.
I had decided I wanted to write about food, and I knew the only way to do that is to speak with authority, which meant learning the language and knowing what that experience is like.
I'm the chocolate chip cookie king of the world.
I'm a good operator: good with food and good with math.
You can be a decent critic if you know about food, but to be a really good one, you need to know about life.
Although I may not know a lot about football, I do know a lot about food! As a result, not many people ask me to join their fantasy leagues, but they will come to me for suggestions on what to serve for guests for a weekly Sunday get-together.
A sushi chef has to spot the best-quality fresh fish instantly.
The real evolution is to learn something new every day - it's very important for chefs to share what they have discovered.
I came literally to the table with a wealth of knowledge by simply understanding how food should taste.
I'm not really a food connoisseur.
I'm not from a maple producing area and so my maple syrup credentials are very much of the eating side.
