There’s an excellent interview with Alton Brown at Channel Guide Magazine’s Web site.

“In the end, to cook is a humble act. To cook and serve people. It’s a privilege, and it’s a responsibility, and if you are gifted enough by whatever power you happen to believe in to be good enough at it that people are willing to travel great distances and make reservations far ahead to do it, you should be humbled by that. You should consider yourself lucky … instead of them being lucky. …

And it’s about hospitality. I remember when I was young — the way my parents entertained is very different from the way we entertain today. People used to get together at the table and have a pot of chili and be thrilled to death. Because it was about the getting together. And somewhere along the line — and I won’t say who I think did this — it became about impressing each other. About ‘look what I can do.’ And then the whole nature of hospitality changed. I know people who refuse to entertain because they are afraid that they can’t live up to this or they can’t live up to that. And that’s a shame. …

I did an interview with Bride’s Magazine and they asked me — because they were doing a whole thing about the registry — they asked me what’s the most important tool in the kitchen. And I thought for a second and I said the kitchen table. Because without a place for people to come together — without that whole community thing — it doesn’t matter what kind of tools you’re cooking with, if you don’t have a place where people can sit down en familia as it is, then why have a kitchen?”