A pleasant aperitif, as well as a good chaser for a short quick whiskey, as well again for a fine supper drink, is beer.

I like old people when they have aged well. And old houses with an accumulation of sweet honest living in them are good. And the timelessness that only the passing of Time itself can give to objects both inside and outside the spirit is a continuing reassurance.

It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it

Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures.

Most bereaved souls crave nourishment more tangible than prayers: they want a steak.

Cooks must feed their egos as well as their customers.

No yoga exercise, no meditation in a chapel filled with music will rid you of your blues better than the humble task of making your own bread.