Thomas Keller Quotes, Sayings, Remarks, Thoughts and Speeches
Thomas Keller Quotes and Sayings
- 1
A kaiseki meal is like that, very small courses over a long period of time.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 2
But once in a while you might see me at In and Out Burger; they make the best fast food hamburgers around.
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- 3
Food should be fun.
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- 4
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 5
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 6
I drank more wine when I wasn't working as much, to be honest.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 7
I have no formal culinary training, right.
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- 8
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 9
I like to drink young wines, wines which are robust and have a lot of forward fruit to them.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 10
I think every young cook wants to write a book.
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- 11
I wanted to learn everything I could about what it takes to be a great chef. It was a turning point for me.
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- 12
I wanted to write about what we were doing at the French Laundry, the recipes and the stories.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 13
In any restaurant of this caliber, the chefs are in the same position, building relationships.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 14
It wasn't about mechanics; it was about a feeling, wanting to give someone something, which in turn was really gratifying. That really resonated for me.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 15
It's one thing you aspire to: someday, you'll be able to write a book.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 16
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 17
My childhood wasn't full of wonderful culinary memories.
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- 18
My favorite wines are Zinfandels.
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- 19
No, it's funny, when I eat out it's not typically in the kind of restaurants people might imagine.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 20
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 21
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 22
Some of the recipes in the book have evolved for us. Many haven't.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 23
The book is there for inspiration and as a foundation, the fundamentals on which to build.
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- 24
The law of diminishing returns is something I really believe in.
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- 25
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.
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- 26
Then, as the day progresses, depending on how the product is coming in - for instance, the fish man will fax us and say black bass is great - throughout the day, we'll also make judgment calls and adapt to what's available.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 27
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 28
We go through our careers and things happen to us. Those experiences made me what I am.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 29
We rely on our purveyors to tell us what's available and what's good.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 30
We're always trying to make it better.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 31
When I go out to eat, it's usually something moderate in style.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 32
Whether it's destiny or fate or whatever, I don't think I could do a French Laundry anywhere else.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 33
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 34
You're getting to know who the great chefs are through their books.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
- 35
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.
Thomas Keller | Refcard PDF ↑
