The Idea Of Old Was To Conform

You Know, My Parents Had A Restaurant. And I Left Home, Actually, In 1949, When I Was 13 Years Old, To Go Into Apprenticeship. And Actually When I Left Home, Home Was A Restaurant - Like I Said, My Mother Was A Chef. So I Can't Remember Any Time In My Life, From Age 5, 6, That I Wasn't In A Kitchen.

When You Become A Good Cook, You Become A Good Craftsman, First. You Repeat And Repeat And Repeat Until Your Hands Know How To Move Without Thinking About It.

Fortunately, I Knew The Cardinal Rule Of Getting On With One's Fellow Cooks. It Applies In Any Kitchen And Can Be Summed Up In Two Short Words: Bust Ass.

I Tell A Student That The Most Important Class You Can Take Is Technique. A Great Chef Is First A Great Technician. 'if You Are A Jeweler, Or A Surgeon Or A Cook, You Have To Know The Trade In Your Hand. You Have To Learn The Process. You Learn It Through Endless Repetition Until It Belongs To You.

The Idea Of Old Was To Conform Yourself To A Style Of Cooking, It Was Not To Create A Style Of Cooking. Now The Chef Is So Much Into 'i Want To Sign That Dish And Say I Am The One Who Made That Dish.