From the Archives: Thomas Keller on sourcing, chef sorcery and the Aquarium.

Turns out Thomas Keller likes to talk about food.

That's a major reason our conversation—which was scheduled for 20 minutes—ran over an hour.

Most of it appears in a piece titled, "Astronomic Gastronomy: Thomas Keller’s obsession with the best made him a legend – and Cooking for Solutions’ 2009 Chef of the Year."

But the man behind destinations like French Laundry and Bouchon also got into leadership, collaboration and inspiration, amid a flurry of other ideas.

Some highlights appear here; click the above link for the full rundown.

Keller returns regularly to help actor Pebble Beach Food & Wine, which he also advises, and to play local golf courses.

On chef visibility and influence: Well, I think chefs always lead the way – they’ve been doing that for centuries and they’ll be continuing to do that. And trying to set the example has to be part of our philosophy and in doing that we also have to try to balance what we’re doing and be respectful not only to us, but as an industry to our suppliers, to our kitchen, to the dining room, and ultimately to our guests in a way that brings the best possible experience to them. And you know, it’s a tricky road, honestly, to navigate these days.

On eating meat: Yeah, you think about the animals that we eat – I’m a carnivore, not a vegetarian and all respect to vegetarians – for me it’s a natural cycle. You raise an animal and you raise it to the best of your ability in an environment that’s going to be nurturing, helpful and humane for the animal. You know you give all that respect for that animal so that when you do kill it, you’ve nurtured it and it nurtures you. And making sure that you treat that animalwell not only in its life but in its death. How then you cook that animal… how you process that animal for consumption.

On his process: I’m on the road and seeing where this road takes me. And you know it’s frustrating, it’s aggravating, it’s rewarding, it’s enriching. It’s all those things in life that you experience, but the thing that I find most gratifying is the staff that I work with and their contributions to what they do, and what I do.

On working with others: Well, you’ve got to be fair. You’re trying to be demanding, you’re trying to be challenging, you try to be a leader, you know you try to be tough in all those areas. You know you’re a parent, you want to nurture (16) and lead and be a teacher, all those things.

On golf: What’s the first thing that pops into my head? I think it’s just the enjoyment, the freedom. Yeah, it’s that feeling of being outside in a beautiful location and just being totally immersed in that moment.

On teamwork: It’s really about collaboration, it’s about a group, it’s about a team having a vision, to have common goals and that’s really about how we do it. It’s not about one person – it’s about a culture that’s been refined and defined at our restaurants that enables each and every person to have an impact and take ownership for what they’re doing, and I think that’s one of the keys to our successes.