Wolfgang Puck

“A lot of chefs are traditional and do it very well. But the ones who are the most successful are the ones who change things. That is why someone like Heston Blumenthal is a genius.”

“When I do a cooking class now, I tell people that the most important part is to read the recipe many times so you know what you're doing. What I don't tell them, though, is that sometimes I do parties where I'm rushing so much I don't have time to follow my own advice.”

“Acting is a very artistic profession and there are thousands of people out there who think they are actors but there are very few who have real talent.”

“You see fewer and fewer chefs who are really big - most stay in shape.”

“Television in the '80s was very limited. There was no Food Network.”

“The good news about showcasing chefs and the TV shows is they've attracted a lot more smart kids to the profession than 30 years ago. On the downside, though, these young chefs all say they want their own restaurant and their own TV show.”

“I believe that London is the most exciting food city in Europe.”

“It's very important in a restaurant to really do the right hiring because there's no restaurant that you have one cook and one chef and nobody else in the kitchen. Generally you have five, ten, 15 people with you. So that's really important is to train them right, but first you have to hire the right people.”

“Everybody has to put purees underneath everything now. It's like people think we need the steak, and then we need some baby food with it.”

“A chef is a mixture maybe of artistry and craft. You have to learn the craft really to get there.”

“I really love Paris. It's my favorite city.”

“I grew up in Austria, and for me real comfort food is Wiener Schnitzel. Wiener Schnitzel and mashed potatoes because it reminds me of my youth... It reminds me when I grow up and it feels very comforting.”

“When I'm in Los Angeles, my wife and I go to the farmers' market with the kids every Sunday.”

“Restaurants are like having children: it's fun to make them, maybe, but then you have them for good and bad. You are going to have to raise them and if something goes wrong when they are 30 years old, they will still be your little boy.”

“For me, cooking is an expression of the land where you are and the culture of that place.”

“What I don't like is breakfast in the morning. I have a double-espresso cappuccino, but no food.”

“It's a myth that generally Asians are mostly vegetarians. The Japanese are the kings of red meat, but it's expensive. The Chinese and Vietnamese love their pork. Many Indians, especially the Muslims, can't live without their lamb.”

“I think it's really important to keep on staying motivated.”

“Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors - it's how you combine them that sets you apart.”

“I left school when I was 14 to work in kitchens.”