Thomas Keller Quotes

"Food should be fun."

"You think about it in an abstract way, but as a young cook, you're looking at other books for recipes, for inspiration, and for ideas."

"We go through our careers and things happen to us. Those experiences made me what I am."

"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."

"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."

"My favorite wines are Zinfandels."

"We rely on our purveyors to tell us what's available and what's good."

"When I go out to eat, it's usually something moderate in style."

"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."

"I like to drink young wines, wines which are robust and have a lot of forward fruit to them."

"I wanted to write about what we were doing at the French Laundry, the recipes and the stories."

"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."

"I wanted to learn everything I could about what it takes to be a great chef. It was a turning point for me."

"I didn't want to be encumbered by what anyone else's abilities were, their equipment or environment or their ability to get certain products."

"My childhood wasn't full of wonderful culinary memories."

"But once in a while you might see me at In and Out Burger; they make the best fast food hamburgers around."

"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."

"The lemon tart, for instance: I've been doing the same lemon tart for fifteen years. I can't make it any better. To me, it's perfect."

"Let's face it: if you and I have the same capabilities, the same energy, the same staff, if the only thing that's different between you and me is the products we can get, and I can get a better product than you, I'm going to be a better chef."

"They know what my standards are. They know what I need and how to get it to me, and they know how to communicate with me if for some reason they can't get it."