I don't show just anyone how to crust a sea bass. That's sacred information.

Give yourself enough time to really learn how to cook.

For me no good food is illuminated without acidity.

I bent my head over a stove in my early 20s and picked it up in my 30s.

My reasons for becoming a chef are somewhat of a cliche. I always loved to eat but it was watching my parents cook that really served as the impetus for my career choice.

I woke up on May 15, 1991, the day of my Barnard graduation, and I said to myself, 'By the end of today you will decide what you want to do with the rest of your life.'