Creating deluxe cuisine is like playing a sport. Always competitive. Always challenging. And if you slow down a bit, you can no longer return to the top level.
Joel RobuchonRead
When new cooks come to work for me, they obviously make mistakes at the beginning or there's some messiness to the presentation. What I always say to them is: 'If you were cooking this for your mother or your girlfriend, would you make those mistakes?'
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of attention to detail and care in one's work, suggesting that personal connections can inspire better performance.
Joel Robuchon's quote illustrates how the quality of one's work can be enhanced by considering the people we care about. By imagining preparing a meal for someone as significant as a mother or girlfriend, cooks are reminded to elevate their standards and strive for excellence, as this reflects personal values and commitment to quality.
In practice
A chef might share this quote during a cooking class to encourage students to care about their presentation.
Creating deluxe cuisine is like playing a sport. Always competitive. Always challenging. And if you slow down a bit, you can no longer return to the top level.
The older I get, the more I realize the truth is the simpler the food, the more exceptional it can be.
I am very honored for all the distinctions and accolades, but what I am most sensitive to is my clientele and the fact they are pleased with my food and my restaurants.
From the age of 15 to 50, I'd hardly stepped out of a kitchen. I just wanted to live a little, to spend time with my wife and children. The first time I saw snow was when I was 50, because I'd never had the time before.
When a dish works, it works for everyone, whether you're Asian, European, African, American or anybody else.
I was unloading sides of beef down on the docks when I decided enough was enough. By then, I'd done a lot of reading on my own, so I persuaded New York University to enroll me.
I think kids in every minority need to see people like themselves in books; that's an acknowledgment of their existence on this planet and in this society.
Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed... It doesn't give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead.
In America we have big issues with education - in impoverished communities especially. I work with Teach For All, and so we're encouraging more people to get into teaching.
You must somehow understand that we as horsemen can do very little to teach the horse. What we can do is to create an environment in which he can learn.
It is the duty of all teachers, and of teachers of mathematics in particular, to expose their students to problems much more than to facts.
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