Martin Yan Quotes

Indeed, stock is everything in cooking. Without it, nothing can be done.

Salt is so, so, so important. If that's the one thing everyone remembers, every step of the way, whenever I cook, I try to incorporate salt.

I believe a good chicken breast, if made well, is the best thing ever.

Fat gives things flavor.

You know, we don't have any decorative sprigs of rosemary; we're not placing little matchstick radishes onto an hors d'oeuvre... The food's gotta taste good. The concept's gotta taste good.

My dad gave me the gene to enjoy cooking, and to enjoy consuming good food and wine.

Find combinations of flavors you love and buy the best quality ingredients you can afford. Your food is only going to be as good as the sum of its parts, like anything else.

The main thing I look for in a recipe is taste, which is different from caterers and restaurants, who first ask 'How does it look?'

Cooking is not difficult. Everyone has taste, even if they don't realize it. Even if you're not a great chef, there's nothing to stop you understanding the difference between what tastes good and what doesn't.

Food is for eating, and good food is to be enjoyed... I think food is, actually, very beautiful in itself.

The key to a good meal is simplicity and the right seasoning.

It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it.

My cooking is simply ingredients plus umami.

For me no good food is illuminated without acidity.

If my cuisine were to be defined by just one taste, it would be that of subtle, aromatic, extra-virgin olive oil.

The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite.

A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal.

I think when dishes have a certain amount of acidity, really they are very alive. And I love things that are alive.

I always have homemade chicken stock in the refrigerator. I'll reduce it, maybe add a little cream and a few shallots. Before you know it, eureka! It's the best.

My biggest nightmare is that something doesn't have enough salt.

For me, the good food starts with good product.

There are many miracles in the world to be celebrated and, for me, garlic is the most deserving.

Food is like music. You've got two kinds, good and bad.

Cooking is about ingredients.

I'm a big foodie but not much of a cook. I can cook desi stuff like dal, rice and chicken. I learnt to cook a little bit when I was in college and I used to cook for my friends. I'm not picky about food and eat all types of food, the type of cuisine doesn't matter as long as the food tastes good.