A gastronomical supermeal didn't necessarily have to involve the things I had brought from other top kitchens.
I discovered that the world of the finest restaurants was something akin to the world of the Mafia.
What neat repast shall feast us, light and choice, Of Attic taste?
If your idea of a 7 course meal is a bucket of KFC and a sixpack, you might be a redneck.
'Fine dining.' I'd love to know who coined the term and whether they meant it to be as offputting as it is. The words evoke an idea of phoney refinement, of needless flummery, snooty waiters, and an atmosphere designed to intimidate the customer.
I was always inspired by restaurants like La Tulipe in Manhattan. You'd walk right by and say, 'Oh what a lovely house.' You didn't realize there was a restaurant behind the door.
The only kind of restaurant I could imagine doing would be the extraordinarily snooty restaurant with three or four tables, and I would cook what I felt like cooking. And you could eat it or not.
A rich and varied menu is for people who have no work to do.
I used to love fine dining, but I lost my appetite for it to a degree because sometimes it is too much about the effort and too little about the result.
I like eating fine foods and drinking nice wine. Even if I had a really good figure, I don't think I'd get my t**s and a** out for no one.
I have experienced some amazing food! Yet when I think about the most luxurious and exquisite meals I have had, visions of simple food made from a few natural ingredients are what most excite me.