Video summary
The video captures a heartwarming and candid conversation between culinary legends Thomas Keller and René Redzepi at MAD Orlando, where the atmosphere is immediately lightened by playful banter involving a goat named Thomas. The dialogue quickly shifts to a deep reflection on their shared history within the restaurant world, specifically highlighting how their careers are inextricably linked through mutual respect and mentorship. Thomas shares a pivotal story from his early days at El Bulli, recounting an encounter with Grant Achatz, who was then the sous chef at The French Laundry. This meeting marked a turning point for Thomas, as he received the newly released cookbook from Grant, sparking a profound desire to work in America and eventually leading him to Yountville, where he lived as a roommate with Timothy Hollingsworth.
A central theme of their discussion is the evolution of farm-to-table practices and the interconnected nature of the culinary profession across generations. Thomas recalls his initial shock at The French Laundry's dedication to local sourcing, noting how he had to lie about Denmark having similar produce capabilities because he was so ashamed that his home country could not match such standards. He credits René for pushing him in the right direction during this transformative period, acknowledging that chefs stand on the shoulders of those who came before them. This sentiment is echoed by René, who emphasizes the importance of taking the best lessons from the past and shaping them into something new, illustrating how their respective journeys have influenced each other's philosophies on ingredient sourcing and culinary innovation.
Beyond professional achievements, the conversation delves into personal histories and the origins of their passion for food. Thomas reveals that he did not grow up in a tight-knit family environment where meals were shared daily; instead, he was raised by a single parent who worked at night, leaving him to rely on his older brothers for convenience foods like Chef Boyardee and TV dinners. His first true memory of a special meal involves the holidays when his mother would prepare standing prime rib, a dish he coveted because he was often denied the prized deckle or calotte cut by his brothers. It wasn't until his late teens that he began to think seriously about food, a path set in motion when his mother made the significant decision to make him the head cook at a private yacht club in Palm Beach, where he learned the fundamentals of cooking simple yet essential dishes like eggs Benedict and hamburgers.
The dialogue concludes with a lighthearted exchange about longevity and health, joking that René's striking appearance is due to Californian Zinfandel while Thomas attributes his vitality to sleep, diet, and exercise—a trio described as the "anti-chef way" of living. Despite the humor, there is an underlying appreciation for how small decisions, whether choosing shoes in the morning or accepting a job offer from a mother, can shape one's life trajectory. The conversation underscores the idea that while some choices are trivial, others made by parents or mentors can define a career, and both chefs express gratitude for the opportunities they were given to learn from one another and continue pushing the boundaries of their craft.
Read the full video transcript
Bob Dylan, [applause] right? Yeah.
Amazing.
>> [laughter]
>> How did you How did you know? Oh my god,
what is this?
>> [laughter]
>> Uh-oh.
>> This is uh This is Thomas the goat.
>> Thomas the goat.
Okay.
I love it. Hey Thomas.
>> [laughter]
>> How you doing?
Yeah. He loves it out here.
Carefully, maybe dinner later.
>> Thomas, can I
offer you a little bit of strudel?
>> Strudel? I was looking for strudel in
the back.
>> It's ready now.
>> Okay. Good for us. A little. My
goodness.
Hello everybody.
Good to be here.
You know, I've been thinking about
coming to MAD for for
18 years or Was it?
When you start When When you started
dreaming about MAD, I started wanting to
come here.
That's how close we were, right? His
dreams were on my reality.
Um
but thank you
Renee for
for inviting me.
>> Let me set the stage here a little bit.
>> I thank thank your team as well for
doing such a great job. MAD Orlando,
thank you for a wonderful introduction.
Thank you, Chef. I thank all of you for
for taking the time. I know a lot of you
traveled great distances like myself to
come and enjoy this beautiful weather
here.
>> Cheers.
>> How does it feel?
>> Cheers.
>> [cheering]
>> Here.
>> [applause]
>> How does it feel to be the goat?
>> [laughter]
>> You call me the goat. I don't call
myself the goat, but I'm grateful that
you think I am. I appreciate it. Another
cheers.
Built to last, guys. Built Built to
last.
>> So, I have questions for
>> Is this biodynamic, is it?
>> Yes.
>> Okay, I just want to make sure.
>> [laughter]
>> You want to like this?
>> They want to put something across my
lips. That was it.
Right? It's all good.
>> Thomas
uh
It's kind of crazy that I'm sitting here
and I have to speak to you like this
because
I'll I'll tell you the story. So, I was
um I was at El Bulli
many many years ago.
And in the door steps in this incredibly
pale American.
>> Pale. Thank you.
>> Was it me?
>> No, it wasn't you.
>> Somebody else.
>> But he looked lost. And he I went up to
him and I said, "Hey, can I help you?"
And he said, "Yes, my name is Grant,
Grant Achatz, and I'm the sous chef at
The French Laundry." I said, "Okay, no
problem."
>> Come on.
>> And I sort of took care of him. And as a
present
he gave me The French Laundry cookbook,
which had just come out
at that time. And I remember flicking
through the pages of this book, thinking
to myself, I need to be there.
This is honestly the feeling I had.
And Grant, he organized for me to go to
The French Laundry. Meanwhile, he left
to go live in Chicago.
And I came to Yountville. I stayed at
The Pink Palace, it was called.
>> Still is.
>> Still is The Pink Palace with uh
with
um a chef called Timothy Hollingsworth.
We were roommates.
>> There you go.
>> Another guy
>> Somebody knows Timothy?
>> [laughter]
>> Um
>> Paula.
>> And I got to spend some time there. It
was the first time I traveled abroad. I
never never thought I would go to
America. In fact, I remember the first
day I was going to work. The Pink Palace
is 700 m from The French Laundry, and
everyone drove to work. I remember that,
thinking to myself, it's
>> It's California.
>> And they drove 300 m by the restaurant
to park to walk back.
>> [laughter]
>> I thought that was so funny, but
I stepped into The French Laundry.
You had a garden.
The Petersons were taking care of a
garden.
>> Yes.
>> Everyday people would go and
get the fresh produce.
I remember you showing me a suckling pig
and you telling me, "Do you have this in
Denmark?" And I lied, and I said, "Yes,
we do."
>> [laughter]
>> I did. I had to lie because I was so
ashamed like, "No, we cannot get
uh this sort of produce."
And it was mind mind-opening to me back
then. And you were
at the forefront, and I think we forget
often where things come from. But back
then, so so many years ago, 25 years
ago, what whatever it is, maybe even 30
soon.
>> 30.
>> Yeah, you were you were um
doing the farm-to-table movement.
And I just want to thank you for being
a part of my life and pushing me in the
right direction.
And it's kind of feels surreal for me to
be sitting here uh speaking to you, but
>> Well, thank you.
>> I want to ask you
>> But you all know that we stand on the
shoulders of those who came before us,
right? So, as much as I appreciate what
René says about his time at The French
Laundry, and and what he what he got
from that, you know, though there was
those times in my life and my career um
that I can I could point to those who I
stand on the shoulders of. And this
wonderful thing about our profession is
that we're so interconnected
generationally after generation after
generation. Uh and I and I love that.
>> Yeah. Me too. And I think we feel it
today in this tent how we speaking about
the things that people leave and how we
have to take the best of that and shape
it into something something new, but
if we go back in time,
I mean, you're still a very young man,
and you're dashingly handsome. You're
like the chef version of George Clooney.
>> I'll tell
>> Unbelievable how good you look,
actually, Thomas Keller. It must be all
that Californian Zinfandel.
>> Right.
>> You look striking. Laura, you're a lucky
man.
>> Sleep, diet, and exercise. Three things
to longevity.
>> Sleep, diet, and exercise.
You say those three words
and they are sort of the anti
chef way of being.
Right?
>> Right. Seriously, built to last. Yeah.
>> Sleep
>> Say it again.
>> Sleep, diet, and exercise.
>> The key to longevity.
>> Right. The key to longevity.
>> Yeah. And the key to also being a
healthy individual.
>> Yep.
>> But back to the beginning.
>> Sure.
>> Um
>> The beginning?
>> Even before that.
>> Okay.
Oh, wow.
>> What is your first memory of a meal?
>> Yeah, that's an interesting question
because I didn't grow up in a in a in a
in that kind of tight-knit family
environment where we would all get
together around tables, a dinner table
at night, and and and share a meal. My
mother worked at night, so and I was
I was the youngest of five boys. Um my
parents separated I was quite young, and
so I was raised by a single parent. Um
who wasn't wasn't really um
a great cook even though she tried on on
those special occasions. Um but
nonetheless, she worked at night, so I
was fed mostly by my brothers. My older
brothers who um gave us whatever was
available from Chef Boyardee SpaghettiOs
to Swanson's TV dinners,
beans and franks, whatever. That's kind
of what I grew up with. My mother
on the other hand occasionally would
make a uh a standing prime rib. It was
either Christmas or New Year's. Um those
were kind of the times of the holidays
where we actually sat down together.
And and I remember and all of you you
all of you know what the deckle is on
the prime rib or the calotte, right? Uh
what's it called in French? Um I never
got that when I was a kid cuz my
brothers would always get it before me,
but I swore one day
I would be able to eat that. So that's
kind of my memory of of dining at home.
Um
I didn't really
think about food until I was in my late
teens or early 20s. And I didn't think
seriously about food either. It was more
of a job.
Just did. I mean, you know, I again, you
know, growing up, you know, middle class
American
eating convenience foods
was kind of where I was. Um
>> So what happened?
>> My mother made me the head chef, not
well short head the lead cook of a
private yacht club in Palm Beach. My
thank God. So we think about we think
about this decisions that are made.
Significance of one decision. I'm going
to talk about that a little bit.
And sometimes those and all of you woke
up this morning and decided what shoes
you were going to put on.
Wasn't really a significant decision,
was it? Didn't change your life.
>> it is, let me tell you.
>> [laughter]
>> But sometimes those significant
decisions are made by others. And in in
most cases when we're when we're young,
they're made by our parents. In this
case my mother
who who told me that I was going to be
the lead cook in this private club,
which is mostly lunch.
Cooking, you know, things like eggs
Benedict, omelets, you know, hamburgers,
flank steak, very simple things.
And so that was the decision she made
for me. Of course, you know, what do you
say to your mother? Same thing you say
as a chef. Yes, no problem.