James Briscione

It’s sexy, and technology and scientific discovery have revolutionized the way we cook. But still, the most important thing a young cook can learn is culinary history and the battery classic dishes. You cannot reach the future with out understanding the past. Previous experience is the basis of creativity.

You can only learn how to season food properly though the act of cooking. There are no shortcuts. Mastery only comes through practice.

When I walk through the kitchen I can hear someone using improper technique to chop herbs; I know the sound of a dull knife moving through an onion. I know what the sear on a steak looks like by seeing the oil in the pan, not the meat. Great cooking requires you be to aware with all of your senses

Every dish and every bite is an opportunity to learn; whether it is good or bad, tasting it with an open mind will make you a better cook.

He taught me to care about where the ingredient came from, the person that brought it to the restaurant, how it was handled once it arrived and most of all, he taught me to be thoughtful about how each ingredient was cooked.