We go through our careers and things happen to us. Those experiences made me what I am.

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.

Some of the recipes in the book have evolved for us. Many haven't.

I like to drink young wines, wines which are robust and have a lot of forward fruit to them.

You're getting to know who the great chefs are through their books.

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.

We go through our careers and things happen to us. Those experiences made me what I am.

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.

My childhood wasn't full of wonderful culinary memories.

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.

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.

It's one thing you aspire to: someday, you'll be able to write a book.

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.

Food should be fun.

But once in a while you might see me at In and Out Burger; they make the best fast food hamburgers around.

In any restaurant of this caliber, the chefs are in the same position, building relationships.

My favorite wines are Zinfandels.

I drank more wine when I wasn't working as much, to be honest.

The law of diminishing returns is something I really believe in.

I think every young cook wants to write a book.

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.

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.

A kaiseki meal is like that, very small courses over a long period of time.

When I go out to eat, it's usually something moderate in style.

We rely on our purveyors to tell us what's available and what's good.

Whether it's destiny or fate or whatever, I don't think I could do a French Laundry anywhere else.

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.

I have no formal culinary training, right.

I wanted to learn everything I could about what it takes to be a great chef. It was a turning point for me.

No, it's funny, when I eat out it's not typically in the kind of restaurants people might imagine.

I wanted to write about what we were doing at the French Laundry, the recipes and the stories.

The book is there for inspiration and as a foundation, the fundamentals on which to build.

In any restaurant of this caliber the chefs are in the same position building relationships.

Youre getting to know who the great chefs are through their books.

Once you understand the foundations of cooking whatever kind you like whether its French or Italian or Japanese you really dont need a cookbook anymore.

You have to be driven. You have to be focused. You have to be aware.

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

I have done things politically, and I've been running a business at the same time, but I sort of joke that to some extent I do more than most legislators have done in their whole careers, and I've been doing it as a part-time job.

I don't believe in careers. I believe in work. I'm not interested in some 'big picture that would be really good for me'.

The bottom line is that these athletes tend to be safer investments because they really value their marketing opportunities. They don't make as much money as during their active careers.

Not so much in Canada, but certainly in the US, as I'm sure you know, money is all, and if they can get another 26 programs of the same thing even though it advances the culture or those actor's careers not at all it doesn't matter.

I think that gravity sets into everything, including careers, but pendulums do swing and mountains do become valleys after a while... if you keep on walking.

Like many students, I found the drudgery of real experiments and the slowness of progress a complete shock, and at my low points I contemplated other alternative careers including study of the philosophy or sociology of science.

There are two types of courage involved with what I did. When it comes to picking up a rifle, millions of people are capable of doing that, as we see in Iraq or Vietnam. But when it comes to risking their careers, or risking being invited to lunch by the establishment, it turns out that's remarkably rare.

I do think that, for instance, we've been very lucky to have theatrical careers and be associated with Shakespeare which sometimes gives you a kind of bogus kudos.

I think now what you're seeing is guys that are in the peaks of their careers anywhere from 27 to 35 years old, seems to be when they play their best hockey.

Models now need to promote themselves, think like businesswomen and diversify their careers by doing other things. Chances are very slim that a mere model will become a household name today.

Careers in virtually all academic disciplines are fostered by being a superstar who knows more about one subject than anyone else in the world.

During the time I was on The Hardy Boys, I was also watching other people's careers. I thought the next step was to be a movie star. I kept saying no to projects, and offers stopped coming in. I was no longer hot.