Mario Batali

“I have a lot of appetites and try to serve them all. My appetite for food is great, my appetite for sex is great, my appetite for whiskey is great.”

“The kitchen is the last bastion of the civilization of the knife. It's the last place you can wave a knife with any kind of impunity.”

“I believe that the best way to create a great meal is to start with a great product.”

“Ingredients are not sacred. The craft of the cook is sacred.”

“Use your hands. It's quicker, it's easier, and it's a lot more fun.”

“Grilling, broiling, barbecuing - whatever you want to call it - is an art, not just a matter of building a fire and throwing on a piece of meat.”

“Local is a place. It’s a destination. It’s a way of eating.”

“Cooking is a subject you can never know enough about. There is always something new to discover.”

“My philosophy is, 'If it's good, eat it.'”

“The way you make an omelet reveals your character.”

“I'm a cook. I'm not a chef. A chef is a title. I'm a cook.”