Everyone tries to compare cooks to rock stars. I see more comparisons to the fashion world.
I'm not cooking every day anymore, and that's the biggest withdrawal. Cooking is honest work. Now I don't know how to measure myself.
Growing up, my dad owned a restaurant in Washington, DC, and food was something I was passionate about. But when I finally got into it, I felt like it was so late in the game; that's why I worked seven days a week at Craft and Mercer Kitchen. I wanted to see how far I could take it.
I'm not trying to bring New York to Toronto. I want to understand Toronto better.
If people ask me, 'What do you think could improve in Toronto dining,' I'd say there's nothing to improve on.
Say a child raises this beautiful beet. It's going to give her a sense of ownership, and that changes everything. You stop taking things for granted; you become less wasteful.
