My real emphasis is on the farmers who are taking care of the land, the farmers who are really thinking about our nourishment.

I can remember the three restaurant experiences of my childhood. All I wanted to do on my birthday was to go to the Automat in New York... but I don't know if you consider that a real restaurant.

My mother made a lot of things because she thought they'd be healthy for us. There were some very unfortunate experiences with whole wheat bread and bananas. I always tried to get rid of that sandwich and eat one of my friends' lunches.

I used to think that I wanted to be a hat maker, but I don't think that would have worked out.

I can't imagine leaving the restaurant. It's hard for me to separate my life from my work; I'm really thinking about what we're doing every day.

I have a fireplace in my kitchen that I light every night, no matter what.

In countries around the world, people spend more money on food because they know how precious it is.

I don't want food that comes from animals that are caged up and fed antibiotics. I am really suspicious of that kind of production of meat and poultry.

Usually, cheap food is not nutritious. You're feeding people, but you're not really feeding people something that is good for them.

I have a love affair with tomatoes and corn. I remember them from my childhood. I only had them in the summer. They were extraordinary.

We all need to know how to cook. I can buy a chicken and have many meals come from it. Is it affordable? Yes. Cheap? No. I want to pay the farmers the right price for food. They deserve it. They are the most important people in the country besides our teachers.

I know once people get connected to real food, they never change back.

I have been talking nonstop about the symbolism of an edible landscape at the White House. I think it says everything about stewardship of the land and about the nourishment of a nation.

We make decisions every day about what we're going to eat. And some people want to buy Nike shoes - two pairs, and other people want to eat Bronx grapes and nourish themselves. I pay a little extra, but this is what I want to do.

I feel that good food should be a right and not a privilege, and it needs to be without pesticides and herbicides. And everybody deserves this food. And that's not elitist.

People have become aware that way that we've been eating is making us sick.

My kitchen has a wood-burning oven, a large worktable, and windows all around, including one above the sink. I think whoever is washing the dishes needs to have a lot of beauty around.

I wanted people to come to the restaurant and feel at home, so I put it in a house.

If I weren't involved with food, I'd be working in architecture. Design is that critical to me.

I used to do calligraphy, and I'm afraid that has lapsed, but I've always been interested in book printing.

Whenever I want to know how to cook something, I can't ask one chef - I have to ask six.

Food culture is like listening to the Beatles - it's international, it's very positive, it's inventive and creative.

A whole set of values comes with fast food: Everything should be fast, cheap and easy; there's always more where that came from; there are no seasons; you shouldn't be paid very much for preparing food. It's uniformity and a lack of connection.

The biggest thing you can do is understand that every time you're going to the grocery store, you're voting with your dollars. Support your farmers' market. Support local food. Really learn to cook.