Top 103 Quotes & Sayings by Ainsley Harriott - Page 2

I was one of those that didn't so much go to the discos or the clubs to drink. I went with a towel around my neck. I was ready to sweat!

I dislike anger so much, I even find it difficult watching 'EastEnders.'

Growing up, a black face on TV was really rare.

People can be comfortable, really, once you invite them into the kitchen.

I think anything is good that introduces food to people and brings food to people.

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.

With me, you know what you get - approachable food.

It's a brilliant place to be. It's rewarding. Gardens are so rewarding.

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.

Mum passed on her cooking skills to all her children.

Bread's so important for me, it makes such a difference. I like it with a lovely bit of cheese on it, sometimes just with butter, or with some fresh soup.

Shouting on TV feels like it almost gives viewers licence to do it in real life.

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.

I was a bit of a show-off at school. I told jokes a lot because I wanted to have friends.

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.

There have been times when, as a chef, I've bawled at staff because something's not quite right. But later I'd reflect and feel guilty.

It's my nature to be happy, and food is something I'm passionate about.

I love the humour of the British and I love the countryside.

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.

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.

You can eat interestingly without having to spend a lot of money, with a little bit of preparation.

I want to have a relationship with my kids. I want them to be free with me, to have a good relationship.

I'm always interested in cooking and helping to bring people together.

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.

My books are easy to use and real - and guess what, I sometimes use convenience food in my recipes!

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've propelled myself into the media world and I've been able to get my style of cooking across with my personality.

I very much consider myself British.

To a degree and If I'm playing a game, I do my best to win.

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.

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.

What I like best is showing people how to have fun in the kitchen. And sharing my love of cooking.

My brother, a businessman, is the main cook in his home and my sister teaches cookery. Good food and good music were the mainstays of my childhood.

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.'

I like introducing people to new dishes and new flavors.

Everywhere I have gone in the world, even though we don't speak the same language, food is the same language.

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.

I'm a warm person and I like people to feel comfortable - if they're comfortable they're going to relax, cook and feel good.

A lot of people go for the serious angle because, ultimately, that's what it's all about. But it doesn't necessarily mean that's the only way of cooking.

I do feel that over the years from watching programmes that tell people 'you're not good enough,' I just don't like it.

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.

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.

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.