To Be A Good Cook You Have

I'm Afraid That Surprise, Shock, And Regret Is The Fate Of Authors When They Finally See Themselves On The Page.

In France Cooking Is A Serious Art Form And A National Sport. I Think The French Enjoy The Complication Of The Art Form And The Cooking For Cooking's Sake. You Can Talk With A Concierge Or Police Officer About Food In France As A General Rule. It Is Not The General Rule Here. Classical Cuisine, Which I Hope We Are Going Back To, Means Certain Ways Of Doing Things And Certain Ways Of Not Doing Things. If You Know Classical French Cooking You Can Do Anything. If You Don't Know The Basics, You Turn Out Slop.

If You're Buying Tomatoes Pick Them Up And Smell Them-they Should Have A Lovely Perfume. They Need To Be Kept At Fifty Degrees Or Above, Particularly During The Growing Season, Because That's When They Develop Their Flavor.

I Believe In Red Meat. I Often Said: Red Meat And Gin.

My Mother Was Independent. She Had Grown Up In Dalton And Pittsfield, In Western Massachusetts, And She Was One Of The First Women Drivers In That Area.