Eric Ripert prefers that his fridge is empty.

Gourmet Live is quickly becoming one of my favorite websites when it comes to food. Here is an interview with Eric Ripert, the acclaimed chef of Le Bernardin, who recently celebrated a couple of rare events: earning 3 Michelin stars and 29 from Zagat.

Gourmet Live: What 10 ingredients are always in your fridge?

Eric Ripert: Honestly I don’t think I have 10 ingredients in my fridge, but I always have butter, yogurt and marmalade. We buy for the day and almost nothing goes into the fridge. I like to buy the right amount of food so there’s no waste. I just bought an apartment and it came with a very big fridge, but I gave it back to the building and asked for a smaller one because I don’t want to store a lot of things. I want to eat fresh, so really, the fridge is empty.

Gourmet Live: What 5 ingredients are always on your shopping list?

Eric Ripert: Shopping or not, I make sure that I always have salt, pepper, olive oil, butter and Herbes de Provence.

Gourmet Live: How would you describe the perfect dinner party?

Eric Ripert: When the host and guests are equally having fun. When the food and wines are delicious and ultimately at the end of the night everyone has a smile on their face. I think it’s always important to have a mix of things you can share. And very often when I throw a party, I break the ice by having drinks and intermezzos to share. Or I mix guacamole and everyone is dipping, so everyone’s sharing. And when we sit down, I plate individually.