Like many parents after a long family holiday, I usually welcome the moment when my kids head back to school.

I remember that at the beginning of the month, the kind of menus my mom and father would prepare for us would have fish, chicken. But at the end of the month - because my father would be waiting for paycheck - the refrigerator would get empty. I remember that without a lot of food left, some of the best meals happened right there.

As chefs, we cook to please people, to nourish people.

Americans should be receiving one plate a day of hot food. That's not too much to ask in America. An MRE is very expensive for the American taxpayer. A hot meal is more affordable, it's cheaper. It's what people really need, it's what people really want. They feel all of a sudden that you are caring for them, that America is caring for them.

There is nothing better than picking up sun-warmed tomatoes and smelling them, feeling them and scrutinizing their shiny skins for imperfections, dreaming of ways to serve them.

I work with companies like Audiostiles to put together mixes for my restaurants. I even created a soundtrack for my television show.

I'm sorry for the ducks I love foie gras.

Food is about making an interaction with ingredients. If you talk to them, they will always tell you a story.

I think every chef should have a food truck. It's a good way to test the markets, to invest in meeting the future restaurant goers.

Look at our farmers markets today, bursting with heritage breeds and heirloom varieties, foods that were once abundant when we were an agricultural nation, but that we have lost touch with. Bringing all these back helps us connect to our roots, our communities and helps us feed America the proper way.

The culture of modern Spain is something many people are still discovering.

I was very impressed with the street food of Singapore. I was very impressed with the dishes that they did.