Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
We were brought up with having a love of your garden, having somewhere you can go in, it's your little sanctuary, you can go there and you can switch off.
I used to quite like the idea of zooming in and out of traffic quite quickly, but when you get a decent car and kids in the back, you become more courteous.
I haven't got tinted windows. I get the odd 'Oi, Ains' and 'What's he like,' or 'I do enjoy your programmes,' depending on where you are. That's quite nice.
All the time I'm trying to evolve, I'm trying to do different things, bring new flavours to people, not just put my name on the something for the sake of it.
Our house was always full of friends and family and we would all sit down to enjoy my mum's Caribbean food, which was always a generous and shared experience.
When we talk about foodies, we're talking about less than five per cent of the population who eat nicely. For most people it's just fuel: 'I gotta feed the kids.'
Food is an integral part of Caribbean life - it's diverse just like Caribbean culture, with flavour influences from India, Europe, China, South America and Africa.
People who drop litter really stress me out. I have been known to chase after people and say, 'Sorry, but you've forgotten something,' and then hand it back to them.
It's important to be dedicated and enthusiastic when you're starting a career. It might take a long time to get established and the money won't flow in straight away.
My mum wanted me to be a doctor because she worked in nursing. So she was quite disappointed when I came back from a holiday in France, and said I wanted to be a chef.
When you look at people cooking in Britain - and Dubai, too - they're not that adventurous. They need to be encouraged somehow. And not everybody needs to be shouted at.
Mum and Dad used to do a lot of entertaining. We had quite a nice house, so everybody descended on us at Christmas - aunts and uncles, who weren't even aunts and uncles.
When you come to Jamaica, there's a handful of things you simply have to try that's right on the top of the list, and I think jerk chicken definitely has to be number one.
The decline of the Sunday meal is a major concern because it means that family values are being forgotten. Once that creeps into mealtimes, it will begin creeping into other areas.
I'm so fortunate that I've chosen the right career path. Yes, perhaps I could have been out there with my own restaurant earning a load more dosh, but television has been good to me.
In London, you can visit, in a way, every part of the globe within the span of a few streets. It's truly amazing and, whatever your mood, you're sure to find something to your taste.
When I worked as a chef I had a happy brigade. I didn't run it with a rod of iron because I didn't need to me. I honestly believe that relaxed happy staff will be reflected in the food.
I say time and time again - yes, cooking is wonderful to cook for your loved ones and see them eat the food but the most important thing is getting them all sat around the table together.
To be honest, 'Ready Steady Cook' was a great opportunity, but I did compromise myself. I was stood there quizzing chefs on what they were doing when I knew exactly what they were doing and why.
I like a bit of chocolate as much as the next person, but cheese is a complete world on its own. The sheer variety is staggering and there's always going to be a cheese to tickle your taste buds.
One of the nicest things about taking your kids to a restaurant - Thai or Chinese for example - is having all the dishes in the middle of the table so that you can try a little bit of everything.
In my 20s, I was body surfing in Spain and the current dragged me out. I was waving at my friends who thought I was messing about, but I was drowning. I managed to swim in on my back but it scarred me.
People know that when they watch an Ainsley programme or get an Ainsley book it's going to be something that is approachable and something that is achievable and ultimately something that is rewarding.
It's good to have fresh ingredients, but let's not completely ignore some frozen ingredients. Vegetables are absolutely brilliant because as soon as they come out of the ground they are prepared and frozen instantly.
Performing has always been instinctive to me. I remember people saying, 'he doesn't know if he's a chef or an entertainer.' But what's wrong with being both? It's like saying you can't run the 100 and the 200 metres.
I certainly love a boogie and once the music starts I'm usually one of the first out there on the dance floor. Although I haven't had any formal dance training and something tells me I'm really going to notice the difference.
To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is also important. A dish doesn't necessarily need to be hot, but spice is important to the flavour.
A typical Sunday meal will be brunch at 11 A.M. I'll probably do muffins, proper scrambled eggs and sweetcorn fritters, which the kids love. Kedgeree's another thing I like, and if any of the West Indian family are over, definitely ackee and saltfish.
My Mum was the main reason why I became a chef. She influenced all of my family to feel free in the kitchen - it was the centre of our home and I have wonderful memories of helping Mum cook and experiencing the love and patience that went into the food.
Although my family is originally from Jamaica, I grew up in a diverse community in south London. As my parents were immigrants they made every effort to integrate and we used to go to a wonderful church where we befriended families from all over the world.
I started to take a keen interest in food when I was 16 years old. When I was a young teenager my mother always encouraged my brother, my sister and I to get involved in the kitchen - stirring and smelling things so we would understand how things were made.
I was quite shy. I found my way, I suppose, with food. It's a confidence builder. How else in life do you get that opportunity for someone to say to you, 'Wow, that's really great'? You put food in front of someone and, 'Ahhh, I really enjoyed that!' It's a lift.
If I hadn't become a chef I would have loved to be a top tennis player, although I was never good enough so it wasn't really an option. But that has never dimmed my love of the game, which started in childhood when I was lucky enough to be a ball boy at Wimbledon.
Think about your first kiss - if you did it and it was bloody awful, you might not do it again. It's the same with cooking - you start off gradually, you get your confidence, and you build on that. Don't be too adventurous to start with - learn how to cook one dish well.
My dad Chester was a pianist and later a well-known television entertainer so football was never really something that was on his radar. However when I was a young boy a family friend took me to see an Arsenal game and from that moment on I was totally and utterly hooked.
My mum was the most wonderful cook and our house was always full of delicious food and interesting people. I remember dad entertaining the likes of Des O'Connor and Bruce Forsyth. But what really shaped my childhood were the amazing Jamaican dishes that mum produced so effortlessly.
The great thing about coming to Melbourne is that people talk about Sydney being the food capital but Melbourne is a lot more; it has that residential feel, a feeling of homeliness. When you go to restaurants, it's known as a creative, artistic city. That's what you get with the food.
I studied music at school and played the recorder. Later in life music was a great way of supplementing my income because I was paid really badly as a young chef. Luckily an old friend - we did music at school together - and I formed a duo, The Calypso Beat, which later became the Calypso Twins.
So I've got mates I've known since I was five years old. Their children know my children. There's something really lovely about it. When you're an immigrant - my parents were immigrants, their brothers and sisters lived all over the world, Florida, Jamaica, some in Europe - it's a grounding thing. That community is critical.