Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.

Life is so endlessly delicious

A thousand years ago the Chinese had an entirely codified kitchen while the French were still gnawing on bones. Chopsticks have been around since the fourth century B.C. Forks didn't show up in England until 1611, and even then they weren't meant for eating but just to hold the meat still while you hacked at it with your knife.

When people flatter you constantly it is very tempting to think you deserve it.

I had done this. I had pulled my life apart. I would never, ever be safe again.

She was a great cook, but she cooked more for herself than for other people, not because she was hungry but because she was comforted by the rituals of the kitchen.

Plain fresh bread, its crust shatteringly crisp. Sweet cold butter. There is magic in the way they come together in your mouth to make a single perfect bite.