Ruth Rogers

How important is the actual meal?

Oh, the meal is crucial. You know, we're chefs, we're every minute thinking about the food on the plate, but most of all the cooking. And people do very private things in a very public space. But if it's centered around a very good meal, then I think that definitely is the crucial factor.

What rules do you hope that they learned at your stove that they are executing in their kitchens?

That's a good question. People say to me sometimes, what talent do you look for in a chef? And I say, Well, it's not just the talent to cook, it's a talent to work with another person and the team. It's a talent to teach. It's a talent to accept criticism. It's a talent to, of course, be neat and clean and that you treat people with respect. I think Rose and I really wanted to run a kitchen through hope rather than fear.

Were you the sort of little girl who would stand by the stove and help, or were you out doing other things?

We always ate very well. All the food was fresh and if we were having corn for lunch we bought it in the morning. If we were having corn for dinner we bought it in the afternoon. But m the meals were really about talk. We sat down at the table and we we talked about politics. We talked about my father would tell stories. It was a very talky household. You know, conversation was huge.