Amuse-bouches are an opportunity to push boundaries.
— Daniel Humm
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.
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 the restaurant, we strive to create an excellent experience for our guests, and in the kitchen, we could not do this without having access to the best ingredients, equipment and tools, including Victorinox Cutlery.
I'm from Switzerland, so I grew up with great chocolate.
It's nice when there's stuff in the middle of the table. That's when the best conversations start to happen.
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.
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.
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.
No tablecloths, silver cutlery, fine porcelain, sommeliers, or deep wine lists - that's fine. But no service or hospitality? That's going too far.
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.
When you look at a kitchen, you tend to see that the people who are doing really well are those who have worked with the same chef or stayed in one restaurant for a significant amount of time.
In San Francisco, the majority of the restaurants are ingredient-driven. In New York, that is true as well, but there's also a greater focus on technique.
As people move further away from a meat-based diet, I think the focus will shift to using grains as the central focus of our food supply.
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.
When I was a child, she'd have me wash the lettuce ten times or open walnuts by hand to make a cake. I was like, 'Mom, this is ridiculous.' But now? I run my kitchen the same way.
I never finished high school. In fact, I hated going to school.
Over the years, I've found myself drawn more and more to simpler meals, to dishes that are focused, and to experiences that strip away the excess.
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.
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 have been using Victorinox Cutlery since I was a young man, when my parents gave me a block set to properly equip me for my culinary apprenticeship.
My wife is from Chicago, and every time we go, I just love it. I love the restaurant scene, and people here are so into the food. It's one of the most exciting food cities in the country.
I can't hide where I grew up or the flavors I grew up on.
I try to run so I can eat anything I want. I feel it's a luxury to be able to splurge on something like foie gras and not have to think about it.
You've got to listen to your guests.
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.
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.
What I love about Thanksgiving is that it's purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It's really for everybody, and it doesn't matter where you're from.
Passion for what you do is essential to success in any profession. That passion naturally keeps you interested and aware of everything that is going on around you, anything affecting your craft.
A cookbook is a moment in time because, otherwise, you look back at the end of the day, and all the meals have been eaten, and the experience is gone.
I would like to know more about how to cook Japanese food. I love it, but don't know much about it.
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.
We can use all the scientific tools, but it will never replace the palate or the talent of the chefs who are in the kitchen.
New York's food scene is truly unique because it is this wonderful melting pot where immigrants from all over the world have brought with them their cuisines and their ingredients.
At my restaurant, we made a dessert called 'milk and honey.' It's milk ice cream that looks like a snowball, and then you cut into it, and honey runs out.
The visual aspect of a dish is so important; the shapes and colors and overall design have to strike the right mood and convey the right idea.
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 am honored to receive the James Beard award and so incredibly proud of my entire team at Eleven Madison Park.
I really feel I have found myself as a chef. It's very clear to me what I want to do - and how it should taste.
My dad was not happy about my not becoming an architect like him.
Biking takes so much time. You need three hours to get in a good ride. In one hour, you can get in a good run.
Almonds can be used in sweet and savory dishes very easily.
Just as food is a craft, great service is, too. It can take years to perfect the technical aspects of clearing a plate, carving tableside, or pouring wine, and a lifetime to master the emotional elements of service.
I think sometimes with the parsnip, people are maybe a little afraid and don't use it as often.
Whenever we create dishes, we work very carefully and ask ourselves, 'Is there anything on the dish that really doesn't make the dish better?' Then we eliminate that. We try to stay very focused on really showcasing everything on the plate so nothing gets lost.
If you are working with high quality products, you can elevate the flavors more by cooking it at a low temperature than you can by searing it.
I have fond memories from growing up in Switzerland and drinking a glass of warm milk with a spoonful of honey before bed.
The perfect ham and cheese sandwich is all about focusing on quality ingredients and about simple techniques. You start with great bread, a well-cured ham and a sharp local cheese, and the rest is easy. A little butter in a pan and a little patience - in the end you'll have a sandwich that is at once comforting and delicious.
I grew up in Zurich until I was 12, and I've always come to Vorderer Sternen for a sausage, a hunk of bread, and some mustard.
I love eggs. Eggs are probably one of the most versatile things we work with.
