One must know combinations, one must have a true knowledge of food to be in the moment.

I wouldn't call it designer food. It's more proven experts in the field.

A jazz musician can improvise based on his knowledge of music. He understands how things go together. For a chef, once you have that basis, that's when cuisine is truly exciting.

It's a challenge to demonstrate that you can prepare some really interesting food with humble ingredients.

For over 20 years, I have been saying that Chicago is by far one of the greatest food cities in the world.

The most successful food, I think, is food that both appeals to the super-sophisticated diner or foodie and to the lay diner at the same time.