I started cooking professionally because I had hit a point in my life where I was just sort of lost and cooking was something I had always loved and so I grabbed onto it. - Amanda Cohen

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Skills can be taught. Character you either have or you don’t have. - Anthony Bourdain

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Cooking is the ultimate giving. - Jamie Oliver

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When you run a kitchen, no matter how crazy and chaotic it gets, you have to be the calm one. You cannot show any sign of fear - the guests pick up on it. The beauty of this kitchen, though, is that everybody helps everybody. - Nina Compton

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It's okay to play with your food. - Emeril Lagasse

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Chefs don't make mistakes; they make new dishes. - Elizabeth Brigg

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I always say that I don't believe I'm a chef. I try to be a storyteller. - Jose Andres

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I say 'no' to nothing, 'yes' to moderation. That's how I approach everything. No matter if it's candy or foie gras. When you have the real deal, you're satisfied with that one bite. I say go full throttle and call it a day. - Carla Hall

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To become a doctor, you need to go to medical school. To become a lawyer, you need a J.D. But to become a chef, you just put your time in at restaurants and learn by doing. - Caroline Schiff

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When I create any dish, literally the first thing I think of is, what is the purpose behind this dish? Why am I putting this ingredient in it? - Esther Choi

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