Quotes from Tom Douglas

The key to great fried squid is 'flash-frying' in hot oil for only a few minutes, which keeps it tender.

Horseradish is one of those perk-me-ups. You can use it in a cocktail sauce, you can bread fish with it - it loses its punch when cooked. It's a 'What is that?' flavor. It adds depth of flavor to things.

Customers are more friendly when they've had a meal.

Tender and sweet, Manila clams partner well with a wide variety of foods - white wine, sake, beer, butter, leeks, fresh herbs, roasted peppers, olives, and wild mushrooms, to name a few.

I'll never understand those greasy little deep-fried wings most bars serve.

Catfish has a nice firm texture and mild flavor.

The one thing I could do with my eyes closed is my Grandma's schnecken.

I particularly like to make crunchy slices of garlic bread to serve with steamed clams.

I use ginger like garlic. I love it for steaming fish and making barbecue sauces or roasted chicken.

The two things that are going to make you a better baker without even trying are a scale and a thermometer in your oven.

Razor clams are large, oblong clams, although not as big as geoducks.

Be sure to read a recipe all the way through before you cook. The time it saves you in the long run is invaluable.

When I wrote my cookbook, 'I Love Crab Cakes,' I asked some of my best chef buddies to contribute recipes.

I think that people need to stand up with their backbone and not go to places where they feel like the workers aren't taken care of.

Support a small chef. Not these big chains... but support the people who are out there trying to do things right and working hard to do that.

There's a restaurant in Manhattan called Balthazar, and next to it is Balthazar Bakery. It's tiny, and it's very charming to have that little retail outlet to sell the house desserts and breads.

It's really fun to have a convection oven, even it if it's a little convection toaster oven. It really changes the way you bake.

I can't believe how many people don't have time to cook but have time to watch football and 'The Voice.' They're certainly making a choice.

I love being able to help promote Seattle to travelers worldwide.

It's just an American tradition to make sure people don't leave hungry. The worst thing is to have them say, 'Great dinner, but now I have to go get a burger.'

When I was a kid and my mom made tomato soup, she would cut buttered toast into squares and float them on top of each bowl.

Cooking with your kids is a remarkable exercise to let them in on the purchasing part of the process - kids love to shop, and its great to take them to these ethnic places where people don't always speak the language.

My own favorite way to cook and eat razor clams is to simply dredge them in a mix of seasoned flour and cornmeal, then pan fry them in butter until crisp and golden. Be careful not to overcook them so they stay tender, not tough and chewy.

I'm much less shy in conversation than I am on my own.