Daniel Humm Quotes

Powerful Daniel Humm for Daily Growth

About Daniel Humm

Daniel Humm is an acclaimed Swiss-born American chef who has made indelible marks on the culinary world. Born in 1980 in Zurich, Switzerland, Humm spent his early years developing a deep appreciation for food through his grandmother's cooking. This passion led him to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, where he honed his skills under the tutelage of renowned chefs such as Thomas Keller and Alain Senderens. After graduating from CIA, Humm joined Keller's team at The French Laundry in Yountville, California. In 2006, he was appointed co-head chef with his mentor, a position he held until 2010. During this tenure, The French Laundry earned three Michelin stars and ranked first on San Pellegrino's World's 50 Best Restaurants list for four consecutive years. In 2010, Humm moved to New York City to open Eleven Madison Park (EMP), a restaurant that would soon become his flagship venture. EMP quickly gained critical acclaim and was awarded three Michelin stars within two years of its opening. In 2017, it climbed to the top spot on San Pellegrino's World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Humm's dedication to culinary excellence has earned him multiple James Beard Foundation Awards, including Outstanding Chef in 2012 and 2016. In addition to EMP, Humm co-founded Made Nice, a fast-casual concept offering approachable, high-quality food. He is also the author of two cookbooks, 'Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook' and 'No Reservations: Dining and Misadventures.' Through his innovative cuisine and forward-thinking business practices, Daniel Humm continues to influence the culinary world with his relentless pursuit of perfection.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I've learned that you have to take chances and be bold."

This quote by Daniel Humm underscores the importance of taking risks and being courageous in life. It suggests that growth, success, and personal development often stem from seizing opportunities and challenging oneself beyond the boundaries of comfort or safety. By encouraging bold actions, Humm emphasizes the significance of pursuing dreams and aspirations without fearing failure or consequences. This mindset fosters resilience, adaptability, and a forward-thinking approach that can lead to remarkable achievements.

"Cooking is about making people happy."

This quote from Daniel Humm emphasizes that cooking goes beyond preparing food; it's about creating joy and happiness for others. Cooking can be a powerful way to show care, appreciation, and love towards those we feed. It transcends the act of nourishment, becoming a means of connection and an expression of hospitality and kindness.

"The more you experiment, the more you grow as a cook."

This quote by Daniel Humm emphasizes the importance of experimentation in personal growth, particularly in cooking but applicable to any field. By trying new things, one pushes beyond their comfort zone, learns new techniques, discovers unique flavors, and ultimately expands their skillset and creativity. Therefore, continuous experimentation fosters growth and development as a cook or professional, leading to improved abilities and innovation in the long run.

"In cooking, there are no mistakes, only opportunities to create something new."

This quote by Daniel Humm emphasizes the principle that every setback or error in the culinary process is an opportunity for innovation rather than a failure. It encourages chefs and cooks alike to view their cooking experiences as chances to learn, adapt, and create something unique, thus fostering creativity and resilience within the field of cooking.

"I believe that the best food comes from a deep respect for ingredients and an understanding of their essence."

This quote by Daniel Humm emphasizes the importance of treating ingredients with care and appreciation, recognizing their inherent qualities and characteristics. It suggests that true culinary artistry arises when chefs deeply connect with their ingredients, respecting their origin, properties, and potential, resulting in dishes that showcase the essence of each ingredient.

I realized I was never going to be Lance Armstrong. And in biking, if you want to make money, you have to be the best.

- Daniel Humm

Want, Going, Armstrong, Biking

Biking takes so much time. You need three hours to get in a good ride. In one hour, you can get in a good run.

- Daniel Humm

Run, Need, Hours, Biking

What people don't think about when they think about New York is this amazing farmland that grows wonderful fruits, vegetables, seafood, game, and fowl just outside of Manhattan.

- Daniel Humm

Think, Seafood, Grows, Manhattan

I grew up in Zurich until I was 12, and I've always come to Vorderer Sternen for a sausage, a hunk of bread, and some mustard.

- Daniel Humm

Bread, Some, Always, Mustard

The perfect ham and cheese sandwich is all about focusing on quality ingredients and about simple techniques. You start with great bread, a well-cured ham and a sharp local cheese, and the rest is easy. A little butter in a pan and a little patience - in the end you'll have a sandwich that is at once comforting and delicious.

- Daniel Humm

Comforting, Perfect, About, Sandwich

New York's food scene is truly unique because it is this wonderful melting pot where immigrants from all over the world have brought with them their cuisines and their ingredients.

- Daniel Humm

New, Over, Brought, Pot

As I mature as a chef, I no longer aim to pack multiple techniques and ingredients into a single dish. Realizing that restraint is more difficult, I find it often renders incredibly beautiful results.

- Daniel Humm

Aim, More, Mature, Chef

I really feel I have found myself as a chef. It's very clear to me what I want to do - and how it should taste.

- Daniel Humm

Myself, Want, Very, Chef

We use many expressions of fennel: blended with potato, it's an earthy, rich puree; the raw fronds add a fresh, green note; and the braised version gives it a luscious, home-cooked feel, something people can connect to - you need that in any dish.

- Daniel Humm

Feel, Use, Note, Blended

I love eggs. Eggs are probably one of the most versatile things we work with.

- Daniel Humm

Love, Eggs, Most, Versatile

You've got to listen to your guests.

- Daniel Humm

You, Got, Your, Guests

At the restaurant, we strive to create an excellent experience for our guests, and in the kitchen, we could not do this without having access to the best ingredients, equipment and tools, including Victorinox Cutlery.

- Daniel Humm

Access, Including, Having, Guests

At Eleven Madison Park, instead of brioche or chocolates, we give our guests a jar of breakfast granola as a gift at the end of a meal. We also make savory granolas.

- Daniel Humm

Gift, Give, Madison, Guests

Over the years, I've found myself drawn more and more to simpler meals, to dishes that are focused, and to experiences that strip away the excess.

- Daniel Humm

More, Over, Away, Simpler

A cookbook is a moment in time because, otherwise, you look back at the end of the day, and all the meals have been eaten, and the experience is gone.

- Daniel Humm

Back, Been, Otherwise, Eaten

People often think of New York as a city, a concrete jungle with soaring skyscrapers and yellow taxis and the bright lights of Times Square. And it is that, in part. But beyond that, it's rolling hills of fruit orchards and fields of grain and ice-cold waters brimming with oysters.

- Daniel Humm

City, Fruit, Concrete, Skyscrapers

If you are working with high quality products, you can elevate the flavors more by cooking it at a low temperature than you can by searing it.

- Daniel Humm

Quality, More, Flavors, High Quality

I have been using Victorinox Cutlery since I was a young man, when my parents gave me a block set to properly equip me for my culinary apprenticeship.

- Daniel Humm

Been, Set, Using, Block

The seasons had always been a part of the way I cooked and ate in Switzerland, and they again became what guided me in New York.

- Daniel Humm

New, Always, Became, Guided

The New York Public Library is a wonderful gem. I go there to get away from the bustle of the city. They have an incredible collection of menus from all over the city.

- Daniel Humm

New, Over, Away, Gem

History has long had a wall up between the kitchen and the dining room. Front of house, back of house - one group always wielded more power and influence.

- Daniel Humm

Dining, More, Always, Kitchen

I think New York is truly unique in its singular combination of the quality of both the talent it attracts and the ingredients it grows. There are plenty of other places in the world with wonderful natural resources, but the people who come here to pursue their passions for food and cooking - they are one of a kind.

- Daniel Humm

Here, Other, I Think, Attracts

At my restaurant, we made a dessert called 'milk and honey.' It's milk ice cream that looks like a snowball, and then you cut into it, and honey runs out.

- Daniel Humm

Like, Made, Cut, Ice Cream

Just as food is a craft, great service is, too. It can take years to perfect the technical aspects of clearing a plate, carving tableside, or pouring wine, and a lifetime to master the emotional elements of service.

- Daniel Humm

Perfect, Craft, Technical, Pouring

A cook never knows if the dish he perfected for hours was described properly or if a guest even liked his food. It's hard to spend hours perfecting a dish only to relinquish control. But chefs need to put aside their egos and trust the people serving the food.

- Daniel Humm

Trust, Chefs, Liked, Perfecting

One of my favorite stores in the Old Town is Buchbinderei. It's this tiny stationery shop where the owner, Doris Feldman, makes these beautiful hand-bound notebooks I always buy for gifts.

- Daniel Humm

Beautiful, Buy, Shop, Notebooks

Even if you are vegetarian, you do want to have a stuffing for Thanksgiving. The stuffing is not so much about the vegetables, but it's very unique to the season.

- Daniel Humm

Want, Very, Stuffing, Season

No tablecloths, silver cutlery, fine porcelain, sommeliers, or deep wine lists - that's fine. But no service or hospitality? That's going too far.

- Daniel Humm

Deep, Going, Fine, Wine

It's nice when there's stuff in the middle of the table. That's when the best conversations start to happen.

- Daniel Humm

Start, Middle, Happen, Table

We can use all the scientific tools, but it will never replace the palate or the talent of the chefs who are in the kitchen.

- Daniel Humm

Will, Scientific, Use, Kitchen

When I was a child, she'd have me wash the lettuce ten times or open walnuts by hand to make a cake. I was like, 'Mom, this is ridiculous.' But now? I run my kitchen the same way.

- Daniel Humm

Mom, Run, Times, Kitchen

When you look at a kitchen, you tend to see that the people who are doing really well are those who have worked with the same chef or stayed in one restaurant for a significant amount of time.

- Daniel Humm

Restaurant, Doing, Amount, Kitchen

I have fond memories from growing up in Switzerland and drinking a glass of warm milk with a spoonful of honey before bed.

- Daniel Humm

Bed, Glass, Drinking, Spoonful

The Rolling Stones seemed very loose and wild, but when you read about them, you realize that everything they did is very deliberate.

- Daniel Humm

Very, Read, Seemed, Loose

Amuse-bouches are an opportunity to push boundaries.

- Daniel Humm

Opportunity, Boundaries, Push

It is essential for me to work with tools that are reliable and offer complete functionality, which is why I feel so confident about representing the Victorinox brand.

- Daniel Humm

Work, Confident, Which, Brand

The visual aspect of a dish is so important; the shapes and colors and overall design have to strike the right mood and convey the right idea.

- Daniel Humm

Mood, Idea, Strike, Convey

I love New York, where I live - it's the best city in the world. Nowhere in the world do you have so many nationalities that are actually mixed together - it's so multicultural.

- Daniel Humm

Love, City, New, Multicultural

I do believe there will always be a place for beautiful cookbooks that are real books.

- Daniel Humm

Beautiful, Always, Books, Cookbooks

Passion for what you do is essential to success in any profession. That passion naturally keeps you interested and aware of everything that is going on around you, anything affecting your craft.

- Daniel Humm

Craft, Going, Profession, Essential

I am honored to receive the James Beard award and so incredibly proud of my entire team at Eleven Madison Park.

- Daniel Humm

Proud, Beard, Receive, Eleven

My wife is from Chicago, and every time we go, I just love it. I love the restaurant scene, and people here are so into the food. It's one of the most exciting food cities in the country.

- Daniel Humm

Love, Country, Here, Chicago

In San Francisco, the majority of the restaurants are ingredient-driven. In New York, that is true as well, but there's also a greater focus on technique.

- Daniel Humm

New, Francisco, San, Restaurants

I never finished high school. In fact, I hated going to school.

- Daniel Humm

Fact, Never, High, Hated

At home, I warm milk, stir in two teaspoons of honey, and drink it in a teacup. It's so basic yet pure; I love it.

- Daniel Humm

Love, Milk, Pure, Basic

As people move further away from a meat-based diet, I think the focus will shift to using grains as the central focus of our food supply.

- Daniel Humm

Think, Move, Using, Further

I try to run so I can eat anything I want. I feel it's a luxury to be able to splurge on something like foie gras and not have to think about it.

- Daniel Humm

Think, Want, Like, Luxury

I have fallen in love with granola, in life and at work. I exercise every morning, and then I have a monstrous day in front of me. Granola gives me energy. It's quick, tasty, and healthy.

- Daniel Humm

Love, Quick, Monstrous, Fallen

I'm from Switzerland, so I grew up with great chocolate.

- Daniel Humm

Switzerland, Up, Grew, Chocolate

When I moved to the United States, I first went to California to be the chef at Campton Place. As much as I loved California, I really missed the seasons. So when I moved to New York, I had that again.

- Daniel Humm

New, Seasons, United States, Chef

Whenever we create dishes, we work very carefully and ask ourselves, 'Is there anything on the dish that really doesn't make the dish better?' Then we eliminate that. We try to stay very focused on really showcasing everything on the plate so nothing gets lost.

- Daniel Humm

Eliminate, Plate, Very, Dishes

Almonds can be used in sweet and savory dishes very easily.

- Daniel Humm

Used, Very, Easily, Dishes

I've been playing sports since I was five. For me, there's no happier moment than when I'm out in the woods on a bike or a run. I feel on top of the world, and nothing else makes me feel that way.

- Daniel Humm

Run, Feel, Been, Bike

H. Schwarzenbach is a very traditional place. The store opened in the late 1800s, importing specialty items from all over the world. It was curated before we even used that word.

- Daniel Humm

Over, Very, Specialty, Traditional

I go to Franny's in Brooklyn a lot. It's just a casual Italian place, but I could eat there every day.

- Daniel Humm

Every Day, Go, Could, Casual

I just really, really love food, so I don't have a favourite. But if I had to pick one to eat every day, it would be Italian. But I also love Chinese and Japanese food.

- Daniel Humm

Love, Every Day, Had, Favourite

Everyone comes to live in New York because they want to achieve something, and for that reason, there's this energy in the city that is just electrifying and inspiring.

- Daniel Humm

Reason, New, Everyone, Inspiring

I would like to know more about how to cook Japanese food. I love it, but don't know much about it.

- Daniel Humm

Love, More, Like, Japanese

I can't hide where I grew up or the flavors I grew up on.

- Daniel Humm

Where, Up, Flavors, Hide

What I love about Thanksgiving is that it's purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It's really for everybody, and it doesn't matter where you're from.

- Daniel Humm

Love, Everybody, Purely, Enjoying

My dad was not happy about my not becoming an architect like him.

- Daniel Humm

Like, Becoming, Dad, Architect

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