The secret of good cooking is, first, having a love of it… If you’re convinced that cooking is drudgery, you’re never going to be good at it, and you might as well warm up something frozen.
James BeardRead
Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.
Interpretation
Good bread is a simple yet profound source of satisfaction and joy in food.
In this quote, James Beard emphasizes the fundamental comfort and pleasure that comes from quality bread, suggesting that it is not only a basic necessity but also a source of immense satisfaction when paired with something as simple as fresh butter. This highlights the idea that sometimes the most basic pleasures in life can provide the greatest joy, elevating everyday eating to the level of a feast.
In practice
During a family gathering where everyone shares their favorite dishes.
The secret of good cooking is, first, having a love of it… If you’re convinced that cooking is drudgery, you’re never going to be good at it, and you might as well warm up something frozen.
There is absolutely no substitute for the best. Good food cannot be made of inferior ingredients masked with high flavor. It is true thrift to use the best ingredients available and to waste nothing.
Food is our common ground, a universal experience.
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch.
Never underestimate how much assistance, how much satisfaction, how much comfort, how much soul and transcendence there might be in a well-made taco and a cold bottle of beer.
All of the people who work in the kitchen with me go out into the forests and on to the beach. It's a part of their job. If you work with me you will often be starting your day in the forest or on the shore because I believe foraging will shape you as a chef.
Of all smells, bread; of all tastes, salt.
To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.
What we need in this country is a general improvement in eating. We have the best raw materials in the world, both quantitatively and qualitatively, but most of them are ruined in the process of preparing them for the table.
Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.