Actually, I'm going to post more of that.
> Is there anyone working in the States who's doing something that you particularly like or dislike?
...
But when I was in Chicago, I also went to Hot Doug's, and it's amazing. There's a queue like you've never seen. Doug [Sohn, the owner] has got one eye on the kitchen, one eye on the room, and he's taking their money. I loved him -- he's an old-fashioned restaurateur. Even that one, it isn't just hot dogs. They are hot dogs with a difference. [Sohn] has a sausage maker, they work out the recipes -- so you might have a sausage with rabbit, with mustard, and with the onions and cheese on top. What a lunch! But you know, and here's the thing: That boy serves a hot dog -- and a great hot dog, let's not forget that -- but at 4 o'clock he closes the door and he goes home to his family. He doesn't leave anyone else to look over it. Interesting, isn't it? He has the same philosophy as a great chef.
> You mentioned Alinea, and that brings up something else I wanted to ask you. What do you think of "molecular gastronomy"?
Not much. Chefs have always been scientists. We've been doing it for years, we just never branded it. Look at pastry -- it's chemistry. My friend Heston Blumenthal [chef and owner of England's the Fat Duck, a molecular gastronomist], I mean, Heston knows my views. He makes a veal stock in a pressure cooker, for whatever reason. He'll give me some scientific explanation. The difference between the two stocks? Zero. The stock is what you put in it, right or wrong.
Molecular gastronomy, I don't see the point of it. It's a stamp, it's a label -- let's get a few column inches, let's make it interesting. My wife's mother, without a doubt, is one of the great chefs. When I eat her food, it's the most delicious food. She has no training. She just had a childhood in '30s Spain; she was brought up by the nuns. But when I sit and eat her food -- delicious. Fabulously seasoned. Great textures. It's peasant food. What I love is it gives me an insight into the world that she came from. She's eating today still what she did as a little girl being brought up by the nuns. This molecular gastronomy, it's soulless.
> I don't know if you've heard about this, but there's been a little controversy recently involving chef Wylie Dufresne, of WD-50 here in New York, and Marcel Vigneron, who was one of the chefs on "Top Chef," an American reality show. Basically, Wired magazine asked Vigneron to demonstrate a recipe for a feature, and he closely re-created one of Dufresne's signature dishes -- a "cyber egg" made from carrot-cardamom puree and coconut milk -- without any attribution or credit. Do you think a chef's recipes should be protected as intellectual property?
You can't reinvent the wheel. Everyone takes from everybody. How many people are serving foie gras on their menu? How many? How many people do a soupe de poisson? Go to France -- a pigeon en croute de sel, a loup de mer en croute de sel. We live in a world of refinement, not invention. It's the greatest compliment he can be given, this guy. If someone takes one of your dishes and does it, it's flattery. For you to get pissed off because he didn't acknowledge you is ego. It's all too political really, isn't it? I mean, we're fucking chefs.
> Would you encourage other people to become chefs?
I'd recommend any young man, or girl, to go into the industry if that's what they wanted, if they're prepared to make that sacrifice. I think it's the best industry in the world. We're in the business of selling fun, a night out. Food and wine are just a byproduct. You could go to a great restaurant tonight, and if you don't like the environment, you're feeling a bit intimidated, it doesn't matter how good the food is, your chances of going back are quite slim. When you go out, you want to sit down, you want to feel comfortable. If you feel comfortable, you can be yourself. Once you can be yourself, you can really start to enjoy the food.
> Another question I have to ask: Are you going to be eating at the London [Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in New York] while you're here?
What's the point? I've heard very bad things, from people with great palates. And you know, it doesn't interest me. If I wanted to eat that man's food, I'd do it in London. It's where I live.
> Why'd you agree to do the new "Hell's Kitchen"?
I think watching Mr. Ramsay on TV does a lot of damage to the industry, and I think it would keep a lot of people not wanting to go into the industry. It would make a lot of parents form the opinion that this was not a good world for their child to go into, and, you know, kitchens are wonderful places. They're special places, and I think if the viewers are going to see a kitchen, then they should have a true insight of what a kitchen is like. OK, it's going to be 10 celebrities; their cooking abilities are limited, but that's fine. I'm there to inspire people, not belittle people. It's got to be educational, inspirational, interesting, because if it's not, what's it all mean?
> But when you were in the kitchen, you had something of a reputation for being ...
I was hard. Very hard. But remember, I could set foot into a kitchen without having to raise my voice. That's the difference. Most people are scared when I walk into a kitchen. I'm quite a big guy. I taught myself how to cast my presence, and when you shout or raise your voice, it's all to keep them concentrated, doing the job, don't stray. What do most chefs start doing? They start yelling at 8:30, 9 o'clock, don't they? Why? Because they've lost control. Illogical. As soon as you've lost control, they know you've lost control, right or wrong. Shout from the beginning, keep pushing them. It's got to penetrate them.
> What about on the other side of the house, when you kicked people out of the dining room?
I never kicked people out. I asked them to leave. We didn't want their money, we didn't want them.
You're a waiter, a customer tells you to fuck off, pushes you out of the way, and your boss does nothing -- what do you think? He's saying the check's more important than you. [As the chef] you don't have that right; you have to look after your staff.
How many times have you been in a restaurant when there's a bigger table, and they're swearing, they're being loud, they're being rowdy, and you're sitting there with your girlfriend, having a nice dinner or other occasion. What does a restaurateur do? Number one, you have to warn them, ask them to quiet down. If they don't, they've got to go. I think of the whole room, not of one table. Too many restaurateurs compromise their position for the check.
...
But when I was in Chicago, I also went to Hot Doug's, and it's amazing. There's a queue like you've never seen. Doug [Sohn, the owner] has got one eye on the kitchen, one eye on the room, and he's taking their money. I loved him -- he's an old-fashioned restaurateur. Even that one, it isn't just hot dogs. They are hot dogs with a difference. [Sohn] has a sausage maker, they work out the recipes -- so you might have a sausage with rabbit, with mustard, and with the onions and cheese on top. What a lunch! But you know, and here's the thing: That boy serves a hot dog -- and a great hot dog, let's not forget that -- but at 4 o'clock he closes the door and he goes home to his family. He doesn't leave anyone else to look over it. Interesting, isn't it? He has the same philosophy as a great chef.
> You mentioned Alinea, and that brings up something else I wanted to ask you. What do you think of "molecular gastronomy"?
Not much. Chefs have always been scientists. We've been doing it for years, we just never branded it. Look at pastry -- it's chemistry. My friend Heston Blumenthal [chef and owner of England's the Fat Duck, a molecular gastronomist], I mean, Heston knows my views. He makes a veal stock in a pressure cooker, for whatever reason. He'll give me some scientific explanation. The difference between the two stocks? Zero. The stock is what you put in it, right or wrong.
Molecular gastronomy, I don't see the point of it. It's a stamp, it's a label -- let's get a few column inches, let's make it interesting. My wife's mother, without a doubt, is one of the great chefs. When I eat her food, it's the most delicious food. She has no training. She just had a childhood in '30s Spain; she was brought up by the nuns. But when I sit and eat her food -- delicious. Fabulously seasoned. Great textures. It's peasant food. What I love is it gives me an insight into the world that she came from. She's eating today still what she did as a little girl being brought up by the nuns. This molecular gastronomy, it's soulless.
> I don't know if you've heard about this, but there's been a little controversy recently involving chef Wylie Dufresne, of WD-50 here in New York, and Marcel Vigneron, who was one of the chefs on "Top Chef," an American reality show. Basically, Wired magazine asked Vigneron to demonstrate a recipe for a feature, and he closely re-created one of Dufresne's signature dishes -- a "cyber egg" made from carrot-cardamom puree and coconut milk -- without any attribution or credit. Do you think a chef's recipes should be protected as intellectual property?
You can't reinvent the wheel. Everyone takes from everybody. How many people are serving foie gras on their menu? How many? How many people do a soupe de poisson? Go to France -- a pigeon en croute de sel, a loup de mer en croute de sel. We live in a world of refinement, not invention. It's the greatest compliment he can be given, this guy. If someone takes one of your dishes and does it, it's flattery. For you to get pissed off because he didn't acknowledge you is ego. It's all too political really, isn't it? I mean, we're fucking chefs.
> Would you encourage other people to become chefs?
I'd recommend any young man, or girl, to go into the industry if that's what they wanted, if they're prepared to make that sacrifice. I think it's the best industry in the world. We're in the business of selling fun, a night out. Food and wine are just a byproduct. You could go to a great restaurant tonight, and if you don't like the environment, you're feeling a bit intimidated, it doesn't matter how good the food is, your chances of going back are quite slim. When you go out, you want to sit down, you want to feel comfortable. If you feel comfortable, you can be yourself. Once you can be yourself, you can really start to enjoy the food.
> Another question I have to ask: Are you going to be eating at the London [Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in New York] while you're here?
What's the point? I've heard very bad things, from people with great palates. And you know, it doesn't interest me. If I wanted to eat that man's food, I'd do it in London. It's where I live.
> Why'd you agree to do the new "Hell's Kitchen"?
I think watching Mr. Ramsay on TV does a lot of damage to the industry, and I think it would keep a lot of people not wanting to go into the industry. It would make a lot of parents form the opinion that this was not a good world for their child to go into, and, you know, kitchens are wonderful places. They're special places, and I think if the viewers are going to see a kitchen, then they should have a true insight of what a kitchen is like. OK, it's going to be 10 celebrities; their cooking abilities are limited, but that's fine. I'm there to inspire people, not belittle people. It's got to be educational, inspirational, interesting, because if it's not, what's it all mean?
> But when you were in the kitchen, you had something of a reputation for being ...
I was hard. Very hard. But remember, I could set foot into a kitchen without having to raise my voice. That's the difference. Most people are scared when I walk into a kitchen. I'm quite a big guy. I taught myself how to cast my presence, and when you shout or raise your voice, it's all to keep them concentrated, doing the job, don't stray. What do most chefs start doing? They start yelling at 8:30, 9 o'clock, don't they? Why? Because they've lost control. Illogical. As soon as you've lost control, they know you've lost control, right or wrong. Shout from the beginning, keep pushing them. It's got to penetrate them.
> What about on the other side of the house, when you kicked people out of the dining room?
I never kicked people out. I asked them to leave. We didn't want their money, we didn't want them.
You're a waiter, a customer tells you to fuck off, pushes you out of the way, and your boss does nothing -- what do you think? He's saying the check's more important than you. [As the chef] you don't have that right; you have to look after your staff.
How many times have you been in a restaurant when there's a bigger table, and they're swearing, they're being loud, they're being rowdy, and you're sitting there with your girlfriend, having a nice dinner or other occasion. What does a restaurateur do? Number one, you have to warn them, ask them to quiet down. If they don't, they've got to go. I think of the whole room, not of one table. Too many restaurateurs compromise their position for the check.