Television in the '80s was very limited. There was no Food Network.
I have two young boys, and my wife is at home. Most of the time, I will cook the food, and we'll eat together.
It was a revolution, but now it is an evolution. People know more ingredients, people know more techniques, and people look for more ingredients they've never looked for before. In the '80s, you couldn't find raw tuna in any restaurant that wasn't Japanese. Now, you can't find any restaurant without it or sashimi.
Television in the '80s was very limited. There was no Food Network. When I opened Spago, I had the kitchen in the dining hall. It was probably the first restaurant to do so. The dining scene became more casual. All these cooking shows have transformed our profession one-hundred percent.
Food television opened the eyes, and palates, of our guests. They became more adventurous.
America has undergone a total food and wine revolution.
I've discussed this with many doctors, and it is just so imperative that people learn how to properly cook food to get those vital nutrients out of them.
Nutrition is just so important to me, mostly especially for children.
I would say that I mostly use Kosher Salt for seasoning my water and flour. I love sea salt, too. I think both are just fine, as long as it's not iodized salt.
I fell in love with food because of my mother. So, I will definitely be sharing and expanding more recipes from my culture (as well as many other cultures), and will be sharing recipes that I have experienced from my whole culinary life.
I love strong flavors too. Like I don't mind if it looks clean and clear and you know what you are eating if it has Italian, Chinese or Japanese flavor I love them all.
I think the most important thing when you are in a competition and you have, let's say, ingredients you have to use make something you did already because none of the judges, you know, probably had it in our lifetime, so I think do something you feel confident with, not something completely new where you are not sure how many hours or how many minutes you have to cook it or if the seasoning is right or if the combinations of spices and herbs are right.
For example, you can eat a Caesar salad and say, "Wow, I ate so healthy today." You forget there was a quarter-cup of oil in there, and all the calories are from fat. So it's better if you eat a grilled chicken breast, some steamed brown rice, and a little salad with balsamic vinegar on top.
There's a lot of processed food in America and I know that can make some tourists who're used to fresh food feel sick.
When I was 27, if I didn't put 15 things in one dish I wasn't happy.
Now everybody thinks that once you do Top Chef, then 13 weeks later you're a chef. Nobody wants to learn to cook anymore.
New Yorkers think they have everything, all the best art and music. But really L.A. is a better place.
I tell everybody the same thing: You have to make every dish so when you taste it, you should remember it when you go home.
I believe that London is the most exciting food city in Europe.
Italian food is all about ingredients and it's not fussy and it's not fancy.
I grew up in Austria, and for me real comfort food is Wiener Schnitzel. Wiener Schnitzel and mashed potatoes because it reminds me of my youth... It reminds me when I grow up and it feels very comforting.
