Daniel Humm

“I never finished high school. In fact, I hated going to school.”

“I'm from Switzerland, so I grew up with great chocolate.”

“We use many expressions of fennel: blended with potato, it's an earthy, rich puree; the raw fronds add a fresh, green note; and the braised version gives it a luscious, home-cooked feel, something people can connect to - you need that in any dish.”

“It is essential for me to work with tools that are reliable and offer complete functionality, which is why I feel so confident about representing the Victorinox brand.”

“I have fallen in love with granola, in life and at work. I exercise every morning, and then I have a monstrous day in front of me. Granola gives me energy. It's quick, tasty, and healthy.”

“I realized I was never going to be Lance Armstrong. And in biking, if you want to make money, you have to be the best.”

“I've been playing sports since I was five. For me, there's no happier moment than when I'm out in the woods on a bike or a run. I feel on top of the world, and nothing else makes me feel that way.”

“Almonds can be used in sweet and savory dishes very easily.”

“I love New York, where I live - it's the best city in the world. Nowhere in the world do you have so many nationalities that are actually mixed together - it's so multicultural.”

“H. Schwarzenbach is a very traditional place. The store opened in the late 1800s, importing specialty items from all over the world. It was curated before we even used that word.”

“My dad was not happy about my not becoming an architect like him.”

“A cook never knows if the dish he perfected for hours was described properly or if a guest even liked his food. It's hard to spend hours perfecting a dish only to relinquish control. But chefs need to put aside their egos and trust the people serving the food.”

“Even if you are vegetarian, you do want to have a stuffing for Thanksgiving. The stuffing is not so much about the vegetables, but it's very unique to the season.”

“It's nice when there's stuff in the middle of the table. That's when the best conversations start to happen.”

“One of my favorite stores in the Old Town is Buchbinderei. It's this tiny stationery shop where the owner, Doris Feldman, makes these beautiful hand-bound notebooks I always buy for gifts.”

“As I mature as a chef, I no longer aim to pack multiple techniques and ingredients into a single dish. Realizing that restraint is more difficult, I find it often renders incredibly beautiful results.”

“At Eleven Madison Park, instead of brioche or chocolates, we give our guests a jar of breakfast granola as a gift at the end of a meal. We also make savory granolas.”

“At home, I warm milk, stir in two teaspoons of honey, and drink it in a teacup. It's so basic yet pure; I love it.”

“History has long had a wall up between the kitchen and the dining room. Front of house, back of house - one group always wielded more power and influence.”

“I go to Franny's in Brooklyn a lot. It's just a casual Italian place, but I could eat there every day.”