Thomas Keller Quotes
"Some of the recipes in the book have evolved for us. Many haven't."
- Thomas Keller
"The law of diminishing returns is something I really believe in."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Law)
"We go through our careers and things happen to us. Those experiences made me what I am."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Careers)
"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
(Related: Cooking)
"My favorite wines are Zinfandels."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Favorite)
"No, it's funny, when I eat out it's not typically in the kind of restaurants people might imagine."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Funny, People, Restaurants)
"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
(Related: Energy)
"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
(Related: Food, People, Now, Restaurants, Wine)
"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
(Related: Idea, Thinking)
"You're getting to know who the great chefs are through their books."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Books)
"Whether it's destiny or fate or whatever, I don't think I could do a French Laundry anywhere else."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Destiny, Fate)
"We rely on our purveyors to tell us what's available and what's good."
- Thomas Keller
"It's one thing you aspire to: someday, you'll be able to write a book."
- Thomas Keller
"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
(Related: Reason)
"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
(Related: Day, Fish, Judgment, Man, Will)
"When I go out to eat, it's usually something moderate in style."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Style)
"A kaiseki meal is like that, very small courses over a long period of time."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Time)
"I have no formal culinary training, right."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Right, Training)
"My childhood wasn't full of wonderful culinary memories."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Childhood, Memories)
"I drank more wine when I wasn't working as much, to be honest."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Wine)
"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
(Related: Feeling)
"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
(Related: Food, People, Information, Respect, Will)
"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
(Related: Experience, Hope, Career, Learning, Now)
"But once in a while you might see me at In and Out Burger; they make the best fast food hamburgers around."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Food)
"I like to drink young wines, wines which are robust and have a lot of forward fruit to them."
- Thomas Keller
"I think every young cook wants to write a book."
- Thomas Keller
"I wanted to learn everything I could about what it takes to be a great chef. It was a turning point for me."
- Thomas Keller
"I wanted to write about what we were doing at the French Laundry, the recipes and the stories."
- Thomas Keller
"In any restaurant of this caliber, the chefs are in the same position, building relationships."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Building, Relationships)
"Food should be fun."
- Thomas Keller
(Related: Food, Fun)