A biography for Alex Guarnaschellihasn’t been written yet.
“I like food to be really simple but have a lot of technique all the same.”
“I used to run track in high school and was unexceptional in every way.”
“Ganache is a mix of chocolate and cream. Warm cream, warm chocolate, they want to get to know each other - they're happy.”
“I woke up on May 15, 1991, the day of my Barnard graduation, and I said to myself, 'By the end of today you will decide what you want to do with the rest of your life.'”
“I know that some people use lavender, incense, and cake as sedatives, but for me, a 'nose bath' in an old book just does something.”
“If you're making a salad of any kind, cut the herbs, stems and all, and toss them into your mixed greens salad, a Romaine salad, iceberg, Bibb - it just adds a special touch.”
“For me no good food is illuminated without acidity.”
“I love 'The Gourmet Cooking School Cookbook' by Dione Lucas. A huge source of information and inspiration. The book is organized by menu, and the recipes are unusual and exciting.”
“If I am making a spice rub or a spice mix for a braise or even just to crust a piece of fish, I'll use mustard seeds. If you soak them in a little bit of vinegar and let them get plumped and soft and then you puree them, they're delicious.”
“My last meal on Earth? The obvious answer is a plate of my mother's scrambled eggs.”
“The hardest thing about being a full time chef is leaving my work behind when I go home at night. I'll toss and turn about a menu item or forget to order produce and wake up at 4 A.M. in a cold sweat over some artichokes.”
“I think unadulterated products and smaller portion sizes mean consumption of less food overall. Portion is everything. The first time I bought a scoop of ice cream in Paris, they weighed the ice cream on a scale before putting it on the cone. It was so small, it fell into the cone as she handed it to me.”
“To make fluffy scrambled eggs, the best trick is to whisk in a splash of water and nothing else. Cream, milk, and other liquids drag the eggs down!”
“If it's not messy and it doesn't drip over the sides, it's not a holiday hot chocolate -it's just an average hot chocolate.”
“I've always been a great collector and lover of cookbooks.”
“There's a freshness to the approach of teen chefs. They're lighthearted, and they're not afraid to take risks.”
“It's amazing how meaty cauliflower can be.”
“When we eat something at a restaurant, however simple it may look, there's something in it that makes you think, 'Well, I couldn't quite do this from home.'”
“I love to eat. I could make a professional sport out of it.”
“My most memorable meal was with my parents at Joel Robuchon's Restaurant Jamin in Paris. It was Christmas 1982, and the flavors - from cauliflower and caviar to crab and tomato - astounded me. It was the first time I remember thinking that I would like to really learn how to cook.”