Thomas Keller

“A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.”

“Respect for food is a respect for life, for who we are and what we do.”

“When you acknowledge, as you must, that there is no such thing as perfect food, only the idea of it, then the real purpose of striving toward perfection becomes clear: to make people happy.”

“Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman - not an artist.”

“For me, the most important word in the kitchen is 'finesse.'”

“Pressure is important. It's what makes us do things. It's what makes us better.”

“I've learned to be more patient, and I've learned that you can't rush things.”

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal... that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”

“Success is about persistence. You can't just have a good idea. You have to work hard to make it happen.”

“Food should be fun.”

“My job is to make sure that everybody who is working with me is better than me.”

“You have to have a kitchen that's organized and efficient. It's not a democracy.”