--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whats more important than recipes is how…" description: "\"Whats more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should open up a new way of doing just that.\" — Michael Symon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/michael-symon-15947_cookbook_whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how_2234665.png" --- # Whats more important than recipes is how we think about… ![“Whats more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should open up a new way of doing just that.” quote by Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/michael-symon-15947_cookbook_whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how_2234665.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/michael-symon-15947_cookbook_whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how_2234665.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/michael-symon-15947_cookbook_whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how_2234665.png) > “Whats more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should open up a new way of doing just that.” [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that mindset about food matters more than recipes; cookbooks should inspire new perspectives. **In simple terms:** Think creatively about cooking. Key Takeaway Use cookbooks as a springboard for innovation. Themes creativity food culture learning Mood enthusiastic thoughtful Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - home cooking - restaurant menu development - food education - recipe testing Key Concepts culinary philosophy innovation Questions to Reflect On - How can you reframe a familiar recipe? - What does food mean to you beyond nutrition? A Different Perspective May underestimate the need for technical skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Good cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-cook/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Recipes are important but only to a point. What's more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/recipes-are-important-but-only-to-a-point-what-s-more-important-than/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [You can love food without being a cook. Equally, you can love food and be a very good cook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/you-can-love-food-without-being-a-cook-equally-you-can-love-food-and/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [I'm not sure I'd write a good cookbook, but I might make a good cooking show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-m-not-sure-i-d-write-a-good-cookbook-but-i-might-make-a-good/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I didn't want to do just another set of recipes. I think that's useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-prudhomme/i-didn-t-want-to-do-just-another-set-of-recipes-i-think-that-s-useless/) [Paul Prudhomme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-prudhomme/) > [I think the best shortcut is to choose really simple recipes. Because I think you can make simple recipes that are as delicious as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-garten/i-think-the-best-shortcut-is-to-choose-really-simple-recipes-because/) [Ina Garten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-garten/) > [I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-ve-long-believed-that-good-food-good-eating-is-all-about-risk/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [“Food that's good for you should taste good! ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norene-gilletz/food-that-s-good-for-you-should-taste-good/) Norene Gilletz > [I love king crab a lot. I love good Mexican food, good tacos, and chile rellenos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-chestnut/i-love-king-crab-a-lot-i-love-good-mexican-food-good-tacos-and-chile/) [Joey Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-chestnut/) > [Even something light, such as walking, jogging, cycling or swimming, and staying away from junk food is good enough to keep you healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-penty/even-something-light-such-as-walking-jogging-cycling-or-swimming-and/) [Diana Penty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-penty/) > [The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-primary-requisite-for-writing-well-about-food-is-a-good-appetite/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was never totally what we would now call 'politically correct,' even in my most militant phase. I always liked good food, good wines.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/i-was-never-totally-what-we-would-now-call-politically-correct-even/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [It all comes back to the basic. Serve customers the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant, and they'll keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-thomas/it-all-comes-back-to-the-basic-serve-customers-the-best-tasting-food/) [Dave Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-thomas/) > [“GOOD shouldn’t be used to describe a girl in any way. There are good books, good food, but not good girls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-george/good-shouldn-t-be-used-to-describe-a-girl-in-any-way-there-are-good/) [Caroline George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-george/) > [They say FALLING IN LOVE is GOOD, But I think EATING FOOD is VERY GOOD!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhoni13/they-say-falling-in-love-is-good-but-i-think-eating-food-is-very-good/) Jhoni13 > [To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-say-that-a-work-of-art-is-good-but-incomprehensible-to-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More by Michael Symon > [Sometimes a minute is really the difference between success and failure. There are times when you finish with ten seconds left, and one extra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/sometimes-a-minute-is-really-the-difference-between-success-and/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Bacon is like a good pair of Levi's-it never goes out of style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/bacon-is-like-a-good-pair-of-levi-s-it-never-goes-out-of-style/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [My goal in 'Live to Cook' is to make great food more approachable for home cooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/my-goal-in-live-to-cook-is-to-make-great-food-more-approachable-for/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [If you learn a recipe, you can cook the recipe. If you learn the technique, you can cook anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/if-you-learn-a-recipe-you-can-cook-the-recipe-if-you-learn-the/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Recipes are important but only to a point. What's more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/recipes-are-important-but-only-to-a-point-what-s-more-important-than/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [The exposure from 'Iron Chef' has been helpful, but at the end of the day your product and your service determine whether you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/the-exposure-from-iron-chef-has-been-helpful-but-at-the-end-of-the/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I always tell my employees, the busier it gets, the slower you should cook. When you run around like a crazy person, that's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-always-tell-my-employees-the-busier-it-gets-the-slower-you-should/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I'm a firm believer that all this packaged stuff that Americans are buying up in gobs is making them fatter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-m-a-firm-believer-that-all-this-packaged-stuff-that-americans-are/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [In Cleveland, I'm so fortunate that we're surrounded by farms with an endless variety of beautiful vegetables. For me, I always eat very tightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/in-cleveland-i-m-so-fortunate-that-we-re-surrounded-by-farms-with-an/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [As the competition goes further along, you start to see who's rising and who's falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/as-the-competition-goes-further-along-you-start-to-see-who-s-rising/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Go to the grocery store and buy better things. Buy quality, buy organic, buy natural, go to the farmers market. Immediately that's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/go-to-the-grocery-store-and-buy-better-things-buy-quality-buy-organic/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [When it comes to cooking and eating, I always try to preach that life is about moderation. Even if I'm having beef for dinner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/when-it-comes-to-cooking-and-eating-i-always-try-to-preach-that-life/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I'm lucky that my restaurant partners are my wife Liz and Doug Petkovic. We opened our first restaurant over 15 years ago. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-m-lucky-that-my-restaurant-partners-are-my-wife-liz-and-doug/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I think that any city created to be that over-the-top tends to be slightly inspiring, if not frightening. Vegas is all about people being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-think-that-any-city-created-to-be-that-over-the-top-tends-to-be/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [I was lucky enough to have great mentors both in the culinary world and in the world of chefs who became celebrities. Bobby Flay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/i-was-lucky-enough-to-have-great-mentors-both-in-the-culinary-world/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) [Explore all 41 Michael Symon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) ## More Cookbook quotes > [My office in New York is overflowing with all kinds of cookbooks, and in New Orleans we have a huge culinary library. So yeah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeril-lagasse/my-office-in-new-york-is-overflowing-with-all-kinds-of-cookbooks-and/) [Emeril Lagasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emeril-lagasse/) > [A combination of the qualities of the scholar, the master cook, the painter, the gastronomer, the sportsman and the pantologist, assisted by the skill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ellwanger/a-combination-of-the-qualities-of-the-scholar-the-master-cook-the/) [George Ellwanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ellwanger/) > [Most women loathe limericks, for the same reason that calves hate cookbooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gershon-legman/most-women-loathe-limericks-for-the-same-reason-that-calves-hate/) Gershon Legman > [British cookbook author Elizabeth David led the most adventurous life but is widely credited with bringing to the fore the importance of home cooking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leong/british-cookbook-author-elizabeth-david-led-the-most-adventurous-life/) [Melissa Leong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leong/) > [I've read hundreds of cookbooks. Most of those cookbooks don't even tell you how to get a steak ready, how to bake biscuits or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colonel-sanders/i-ve-read-hundreds-of-cookbooks-most-of-those-cookbooks-don-t-even/) [Colonel Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colonel-sanders/) > [Cookbooks, it should be stressed, do not belong in the kitchen at all. We keep them there for the sake of appearances; occasionally, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-lane/cookbooks-it-should-be-stressed-do-not-belong-in-the-kitchen-at-all/) [Anthony Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-lane/) > [“It's a recipe for agrumato," he says, sounding surprised. I roll the unfamiliar name in Italian around on my tongue. "Agrumato? What's that?" Nicolo's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-linden/it-s-a-recipe-for-agrumato-he-says-sounding-surprised-i-roll-the/) Rachel Linden > [I am a cookbook fanatic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-bee/i-am-a-cookbook-fanatic/) [Samantha Bee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-bee/) > [My mom had Julia Child and 'The Fannie Farmer Cookbook' on top of the refrigerator, and she had a small repertoire of French dishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/my-mom-had-julia-child-and-the-fannie-farmer-cookbook-on-top-of-the/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [Every cookbook can be a bit patronising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/every-cookbook-can-be-a-bit-patronising/) [Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/) > [Cookbooks have all become baroque and very predictable. I'm looking for something different. A lot of chefs' cookbooks are food as it's done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/cookbooks-have-all-become-baroque-and-very-predictable-i-m-looking/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [“Somewhere close behind air and water is the need for food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-martin/somewhere-close-behind-air-and-water-is-the-need-for-food/) L.J. Martin > [When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [A lot of cookbooks also have incredible food writing, even though I feel like a lot of cookbook authors don't necessarily identify with being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/a-lot-of-cookbooks-also-have-incredible-food-writing-even-though-i/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [“None of this Mad Mario showmanship- orange clogs and Bermuda shorts fit for Babar, sweetbreads garnished with squash blossoms stuffed with cheese from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/none-of-this-mad-mario-showmanship-orange-clogs-and-bermuda-shorts/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) Browse all 169 Cookbook quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whats more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should open up a new way of doing just that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Symon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how-we-think-about-food-and-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cookbook" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how-we-think-about-food-and-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/michael-symon-15947_cookbook_whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how_2234665.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/michael-symon-15947_cookbook_whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how_2234665.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/michael-symon-15947_cookbook_whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how_2234665.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whats more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should open up a new way…” — Michael Symon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Symon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whats more important than recipes is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how-we-think-about-food-and-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/whats-more-important-than-recipes-is-how-we-think-about-food-and-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```