This is my first book, and I can’t say how much it means to me to see my thoughts on cooking represented on the printed page. It’s both a thrill and a highly emotional experience, one that becomes only more poignant when I think about the many people who helped me get to this point.
First and foremost, I honor my mother, Eleanor, my grandmother Francis, and my aunt Anna. These were the women who showed me at an early age that cooking was important and made a difference in people’s lives. They demonstrated the joys of being in the kitchen and provided the model of hard work that I would follow the rest of my life.
I think of Billy Thorne, the man who gave me an opportunity to work at Magic’s and showed me the glamour in cooking for not just important people but for a real-life community. Then I think of Pierre and Francine Farkas, the duo who owned Club Pierre and who made my introduction to French food and the glories of Gallic cuisine.
Along my path in New York were my partners in 13 Barrow Street, guys who supported me fully at a time when I needed to be reinvented. To the great Gael Greene of New York magazine, for the being the one critic who really, truly got me—every time. Her praise has been a beacon for me throughout my entire career. Jim DeVine was instrumental in my evolution. The maître d’ at the River Café, he both introduced me to Gael Greene and got me 13 Barrow Street.
So many great chefs along the way have made huge differences in how I think about food, cooking, my career, life. I love being a chef for many reasons, but the camaraderie and brotherhood I have with other chefs is one of the greatest feelings. So I bow to friends and colleagues like Rick Moonen, Eric Ripert, Scott Bryan, Tom Colicchio, Bobby Flay, Douglas Rodriguez—great chefs and food minds all. Anthony Bourdain, thanks for writing about me and understanding who I was. All these guys, despite their towering fame achievement, always believed that I could cook and always gave me time and attention when I needed it.
I thank the great Dean Fearing, Dallas legend, for creating the space that brought me to Dallas and making my landing a soft one. Bob Boulogne, Duncan Graham, and Shane Krige composed the corporate team who stood behind me during the remaking of the Mansion and deserve a lot of credit for enabling my success there. Brad Woy, I can say that ours is a love-hate relationship. But you gave me Spoon—my greatest restaurant achievement prior to Knife—and I’m eternally grateful.
There are many people that spurred the cooking and the awakening that led to Knife and this book. Michael O’Hanlon helped create the physical space and the opportunity for the existence of Knife. Adam Perry Lang and Mario Batali, thanks for teaching me about aging beef. Jason Schimmels and Bob McClaren of 44 Farms gave me raw product of the highest integrity so instrumental to Knife’s success. And the same goes to all the guys at Creekstone and HeartBrand Beef. Josh Smith of Boston, a great friend who has taught me so much about charcuterie and kept Knife continually supplied with his genius products. George Stergios, my director of operations at Knife, who’s taught me so much, but nothing more important than how to be a better businessman, a lesson so long in the learning. I thank all the cooks I’ve worked with at both Spoon and Knife, who supported me and made it possible, but especially Neil and Brent for their patience, dedication, and loyalty. It means so much.
I offer my great thanks to the team who helped create this book. David Hale Smith—good friend, gourmand, agent, raconteur; he had the vision for this. To Jordan for having the patience to listen to me and capture who I am. To Sydny Miner for her clarity and diligence in wading through the recipes. And to Kevin Marple for his fantastic eye.
And last but not least, I offer measureless gratitude and love to my wife, Tracy, my son, Ryder, and the entire Elliott family—my late father-in-law, Robert, my mother-in-law, Stephanie, Boots, Misty, D. L., Beverly. I didn’t have family when I moved to Texas, and not only did they become my anchors, they introduced me to the world of Texas ranching. From them I learned the stark contrast between what we’re doing at Knife and what had existed before in the history of Texas ranching. I was lucky enough to fall into this, but this family did all the hard work and laid the foundation of everything I’ve done.
And, finally, I call out to my daughter, Morgan, wherever you are.
