Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as 'art for art's sake' it is unthinkable. A man may sing in his bath every morning without the least encouragement, but no cook can cook just for his or her own sake in a like manner. All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for.
Interpretation
Cooking requires an audience to appreciate the artistry, unlike other forms of self-expression.
This quote by Andre Simon highlights the essence of cookery as an art form that demands acknowledgment from others. Unlike solo endeavors such as singing in the shower, cooking inherently relies on the appreciation of others, making it a communal experience that connects the chef with the audience they serve. The comparison suggests that just like other artists, cooks thrive on the joy of sharing their creations with those who truly value their work.
In practice
During a cooking demonstration, I shared this quote to emphasize the importance of audience appreciation.
I needed my life as a springboard for my fiction. I have to have something solid under my feet when I write. I'm not a fantasist. I bounce up and down on the diving board, and I go into the water of fiction. But I've got to begin in life so I can pump life into it throughout.
Each song has its own secret that's different from another song, and each has its own life. Sometimes it has to be teased out, whereas other times it might come fast. There are no laws about songwriting or producing. It depends on what you're doing, not just who you're doing.
Using a camera appeases the anxiety which the work-driven feel about not working when they are on vacation and supposed to be having fun. They have something to do that is like a friendly imitation of work: they can take pictures.
You want to tell a story? Grow a heart. Grow two. Now, with the second heart, smash the first one into bits.
I'm not in any rush. I'm not somebody who, if I write a song, I get it out. That's not something I've ever really quite done.
Art is a step in the known toward the unknown
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