Jerusalem artichokes are very sweet this time of year, ... I like to bake them until they are buttery. Add butter and thyme and a little chicken stock until they are glazed.

[In the introduction to this book, he says that as a 14-year-old apprentice he] dreamed of creating a restaurant that would capture the warmth and conviviality ... a warm, welcoming, and a vital part of village life.

In any sauce you make, start with a concentration of flavors with great acidity. You then re-dilute the sauce, but the proportion of liquid you add should not be so high that you wash away the extracted flavor you're aiming to create.

I try to come to Asia twice a year. I also go to Europe - to London as well as to France to see my family - four or five times a year.

Every time - well, not every time, but in celebration of a great review or a great accolade, I take the team of Daniel to Katz's Deli for lunch. We take the trip on the subway, we were like 40 or 50 people, and we go in the back room and have a pastrami sandwich.

For me, the food I like to make is the food I can enjoy all the time anytime. It's not too calculated or technical.