If we want a world that is truly sustainable, we have to realize that something old can also be perfect. Otherwise, we'll just throw away our yesterday.

When I was a student, my first luxury purchase was a drafting table. It may not seem like a major purchase, but for me, it was the most important thing I could think of to spend my money on.

Being open to the unexpected allows me to bring so much to my craft.

I listen to a variety of music. I like everything from old Arabic music to Portuguese fados.

Why would you spend your life and your time doing something that's insignificant?

Nobody's interested in something that could've been done before.

The things I own are sacred.

I don't just want to create products. I want to reach into people's hearts and minds. I want to create memories.

If something is functional, you no longer think about it. I care about how meaningful things are.

We should make things that people don't want to throw away.

There is always a reason behind things that are made, and if there isn't, there will be one when they travel through the world. The objects of beauty are used to impress, seduce, overwhelm, make money, support identities, and show power or style, among other things.

I think design is the expression of its time and culture.

I want to create a world with objects and surroundings that are human, more romantic, and less sterile.

As humans, we are not so rationalist as we think we are. I think our biggest quality is indeed that we are human, truly human: if our biggest quality would be rationality, we would lose our soul.

For me, true kitsch has nothing to do with irony. It's very honest. It represents what people like, their dreams.

The fundamental dogma of Modernism - that, if the past is irrelevant to the future, then today is irrelevant to tomorrow - has created a throwaway society of disposable objects. That is sick.

When I make chairs, they have legs; they can go anywhere in the world. Interiors are a different responsibility. A house is a representation of where you are, and it has to be right for the place.

The need to express yourself in Los Angeles makes the city so vibrant. If I lived here, it would be lovely to be in a cool new high-rise looking out over a city that is exploding.

Typically a weekend retreat for the heart, soul and palate, brunch is the perfect way to unwind and reconnect.

Day of the Dead. Sounds a little spooky doesn't it? It's actually one of the most colorful and joyous of Mexican holidays.

I'm not going to focus on the bad days. I choose to live in gratitude.

People don't realize that we're spending money throwing food away rather than feeding people.

True success will come when you have the courage to be yourself.

It fills my heart with pride and joy that international food writers and press have taken an interest in Tijuana.

There's no insects in American cuisine? Not one? I don't think there are. That's so sad.

I was a contestant on 'The Apprentice: Martha Stewart' and more than her telling me I learned from her that authenticity is key. She had a huge issue with a contestant using the phrase 'fake it 'til you make it' and fired her that same episode. She taught me that you can't fake being a master of your craft.

There's a particular quality that those of us who live on the border share; we can switch from being Mexican to being American in an instant just by scanning our surroundings. Not everybody has this superpower; it takes a very specific kind of upbringing to instill a deep pride in two very different cultures.

I hate perfect centerpieces and formal tablescapes.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of having a salad before a meal.

As a chef and avid traveler, meeting new people and sharing a meal with the intent to learn more about their culture is important to me.

Growing up, I didn't realize how unique it was to live on the border of the United States and Mexico. It wasn't until I started doing interviews with the press that I actually began to appreciate just how cool it was that I would cross the international border every single day from Tijuana into San Diego to go to school.

I strongly believe that it's possible to conserve our heritage while making more healthful choices.

One summer, when I was on break from architecture school in Tijuana, my aunt gave me a summer job cleaning up and peeling garlic, and I got to see her in her element. She was so passionate and such a good teacher, I decided to quit architecture school and go to culinary school in Los Angeles.

The more kids are involved, the more likely they are to eat the food. Getting them involved gets them excited, and kids are much more likely to try something that they were involved in the process of creating because it gives them a sense of accomplishment - kids always love approval.

I love my molcajete, which is a Mexican mortar and pestle. There is no comparison in flavor to when I use a processor.

I definitely recommend a quality chef's knife.

I do the best I can to remind my family as often as possible that I love them more than life itself, and to let them know that every step I take is with them in the very front of my mind.

In an attempt to have access to everything year-round, produce has lost its magic.

I didn't realize I was living in a very unique situation until I became a culinary professional. For me, there was nothing out of the ordinary about spending half my day in Mexico, and the other half in California.

There is no yellow cheese in Mexico!

My decisions are motivated by my life, my values, and what I stand for, not what I can gain financially from it. This has weeded out the opportunities that I don't care about and has brought on a lot of new opportunities that mean everything to me.

Growing up, my mom was a stay-at-home mom. I knew that her entire world revolved around us, and she relished being involved in every school project and every craft.

I've been doing the 'Mexican Made Easy' show, and it's very heavy on instructions. It's me talking to the camera.

When summer squash is freshly picked, all it needs is a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe a hit of lemon juice.

There's a design book I got years ago that had a statue of a dog with a bunch of hats on it, and I just obsessively fell in love with it. For years I searched for that dog. One day I walked into an antique shop in La Jolla and I found a white dog that I could put hats on!

My aunt was a chef and she inspired me deeply so she was a huge motivator but more than anything it was a quest for independence and freedom that lead me to an L.A. Culinary School.

Quesadillas, those are my comfort food.

You're only as good as the people who you surround yourself with.

Herdez Salsas have always been a favorite of mine because I love the authentic taste.

My former assistant used to tell me I have a problem with cushions and she was totally right. The reason is because I'm constantly rearranging things in my house. And if I can't move a whole piece of furniture, the easiest thing to rearrange is cushions. I like to keep things fresh.