A Literary Culinary Journal
by Simón de Swaan
We never repent of having eaten too little.–Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson — author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third president of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia — voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era.
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by Simón de Swaan
The further I travel in search of the ideal slimming method the more I am convinced that food is one of the oldest and greatest comforters… a secret return to the womb…–Roy Andries de Groot
Baron Roy Andries de Groot was a British-born American culinary writer and wine critic. He was born in London, the son of a Dutch artist and a French noblewoman. During the 1930s, de Groot worked as a news and feature writer, film writer, and director. When World War II broke out, he joined the British Ministry of Information and worked for the BBC, where, during The Blitz of London, he suffered eye injuries that would leave him totally blind within 20 years.
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by Simón de Swaan
Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life.–Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973) was an Italian fashion designer. Along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two World Wars. Starting with knitwear, Schiaparelli’s designs were heavily influenced by Surrealists, such as her collaborators Salvador Dalí and Alberto Giacometti.
Click here to see examples of her designs.
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by Simón de Swaan
A man that eats
his meals amidst morning glories—
that’s what I am!
–Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Bashō was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief, clear haiku.
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by Simón de Swaan
XIII: It is heresy to insist that we must not mix wines: a man’s palate can grow numb and react dully to even the best bottle after the third glass from it.–Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, from The Physiology of Taste
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was a French lawyer and politician who gained fame as an epicure and gastronome. Many consider him the best food critic ever. His 8-volume, famous work, Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste), was published in December 1825, two months before his death.
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by Simón de Swaan
When the stomach is full, it is easy to talk of fasting.–St. Jerome, c. 395
St. Jerome (formerly Saint Hierom) was a Roman Catholic priest, confessor, theologian and historian, who also became a Doctor of the Church. He is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate), and writings are extensive.
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by Simón de Swaan
We plan, we toil, we suffer — in the hope of what? A camel-load of idol’s eyes? The title deeds to Radio City? The Empire of Asia? A trip to the moon? No, no, no, no. Simply to wake just in time to smell coffee and bacon and eggs. And, again I cry, how rarely it happens! But when it does happen — then what a moment, what a morning, what a delight?–J.B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley, OM known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster. He published 26 novels, notably The Good Companions (1929), as well as numerous dramas, such as An Inspector Calls. His output included literary and social criticism.
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by Simón de Swaan
A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten. Some of us are gourmets, some gourmands, and a good many take their images precooked out of a can and swallow them down whole, absent-mindedly and with little relish.–W. H. Auden
Anglo-American poet Wystan Hugh Auden, who published under the name W. H. Auden, was born in England, and later became an American citizen. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. The central themes of his poetry are love, politics and citizenship, religion and morals, and the relationship between unique human beings and the anonymous, impersonal world of nature.
Click here to read his poems.
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by Simón de Swaan
Sir, respect your dinner: idolize it, enjoy it properly. You will be many hours in the week, many weeks in the year, and many years in your life happier if you do.–William Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.
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by Simón de Swaan
There is a remarkable breakdown of taste and intelligence at Christmastime. Mature, responsible grown men wear neckties made of holly leaves and drink alcoholic beverages with raw egg yolks and cottage cheese in them.–P.J. O’Rourke
Patrick Jake “P. J.” O’Rourke (1947-) is an American political satirist, journalist, writer, and author. O’Rourke is the H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute and is a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, and The Weekly Standard.
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Meet Jonell Galloway, a freelance writer and editor specialized in French cuisine. 
