I am still convinced that a good, simple, homemade cookie is preferable to all the store-bought cookies one can find.
James BeardIโm going to break one of the rules of the trade here. Iโm going to tell you some of the secrets of improvisation. Just rememberโitโs always a good idea to follow the directions exactly the first time you try a recipe. But from then on, youโre on your own.
James BeardThe secret of good cooking is, first, having a love of itโฆ If youโre convinced that cooking is drudgery, youโre never going to be good at it, and you might as well warm up something frozen.
James BeardWhat comforted me? That is easy. It was a strong cold chicken jelly so very, very thick. My mother's Chinese cook would fix it. He would cook it down, condense it-this broth with all sorts of feet in it, then it would gell into sheer bliss. It kept me alive once for three weeks when I was ill as a child. And I've always craved it since.
James Beard