Dining should be something that isn't always taken extremely seriously. Graham Elliot More Quotes by Graham Elliot More Quotes From Graham Elliot My dad was in the Navy, so we moved around a lot. That led to me seeing myriad cultures and cuisines. I have been excited about eating and cooking for as long as I can remember. Graham Elliot dad cooking long 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 black-and-white creative fun People love kids and kids like to cook. Graham Elliot kids-love kids people I think with the kids I get to be a little more fun and goofy, which is kinda how I am all the time. Graham Elliot fun kids thinking 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 reading fun watches I'm a traditionalist, so for me, black coffee is cool. Graham Elliot cool me black coffee Kosher salt, eggs and flour. These are the building blocks of everything. Kosher salt, above and beyond everything. Graham Elliot beyond everything salt building 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 monkey dad dog hands 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 good you fire food You are defined by your ingredients, by the way you touch them, by the flavors you draw from them. Graham Elliot touch your you way I think that expression is so great. So I'll look at someone like Prince, and one reason to lose weight is so I can rock that purple velvet outfit with the white frilly shirt. Graham Elliot outfit great look white 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 run politics government office 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 musicians style white food I only wear red socks in the kitchen. They bring me luck. Graham Elliot me kitchen red luck 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 goals day focus food I'm in love with 'pure' flavors, things that are natural and delicious, minimally fussed with, that showcase the season. Graham Elliot things pure natural love 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 me childhood hope food 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 career thought guitar music 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 place try always play 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 live new pizza love
