Graham Elliot Quotes

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Graham Elliot

Profession : Chef

Birth : January 4, 1977

I think that baseball as a whole, I am a huge romantic when it comes to the history and the stats and the numbers the stories behind it, so I would consider myself a pretty big fan.

Graham Elliot

I'm a traditionalist, so for me, black coffee is cool.

Graham Elliot

I've traveled all over. I've been to all 50 states. With my dad in the Navy, I lived in the Philippines from nine to 12, and I had dog, monkey, lizard, everything. Then I was in Hawaii, and I'm spear-fishing, catching octopus with my hands.

Graham Elliot

I'm inspired by artists who use a limited palette, like painter Piet Mondrian, and the White Stripes, two musicians who create an incredible sound. Our food is starting to go back to a 'less is more' style.

Graham Elliot

I'd love to open a restaurant that changes every month. One month it would be a mom and bar spaghetti-and-meatball, Red Sox place, and the next it would be a British pub, and everyone gets in a fight.

Graham Elliot

Kosher salt, eggs and flour. These are the building blocks of everything. Kosher salt, above and beyond everything.

Graham Elliot

Barbecue is the good old technique of people making a fire and putting some stuff over the top - I mean, look at the S'more: it's just got a stick. A lot of those goofy toys, it's people who are looking at things to do. I think if you focus on the food, at the most you need tongs or a spoon to flip something; that's about it.

Graham Elliot

I tried to start my own religion in high school. I was very eccentric. I've always loved attention.

Graham Elliot

I really see food as subjective. It's a creative outlet. It's something that you do for fun. It's a gray area. It's not black and white or right and wrong.

Graham Elliot

I have two bookcases that used to be filled with cookbooks, but now it's mostly books about politics and government. I might just give this all up and run for office.

Graham Elliot

I only wear red socks in the kitchen. They bring me luck.

Graham Elliot

I can't just sit all day on the couch and expect the weight to come off. My goals are my new focus instead of food.

Graham Elliot

I don't get to watch a lot of TV. I just do all my news and reading and 'Meet the Press,' all that fun, exciting stuff.

Graham Elliot

I'm in love with 'pure' flavors, things that are natural and delicious, minimally fussed with, that showcase the season.

Graham Elliot

Kids see cooking as a creative outlet now, like soccer and ballet. It gives me hope that things like fast food, childhood obesity and the horrible state of school lunches can be addressed by kids and their parents.

Graham Elliot

I played the guitar and thought that was what I was going to do as a career. I still record music that is played in my restaurants.

Graham Elliot

Chicago's always been known as this meat and potatoes place, and a lot of restaurants play that up. They try to outdo each other by adding another 10 ounces, so their 80 ounce steak becomes a 90 ounce steak with 10 pounds of mashed potatoes on the side.

Graham Elliot

Even though I live in and love Chicago, I can't stand deep-dish pizza. I'm a New York-style pizza person.

Graham Elliot

Weight is something I've battled all my life.

Graham Elliot

I think that people are getting really excited about different ethnic food, and almost even micro-ethnic food. So it's not just, 'I love Asian,' it's Szechuan or Hunan, this one style from China.

Graham Elliot