Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyll

When a woman speaks passionately and articulately with a strong perspective and a sense of humor, it's best to sit back and just listen: Too much effort given to material things entails neglect of spiritual ones, too little induces loss of temper, money, and health. Some rare spirits there are who may discipline themselves into indifference to creature comforts, who may write magical poetry on lumpy porridge, paint glorious portraits on indifferent eggs, lead armies to victory on bully beef—we salute them and pass on! But with those who, whilst lifting reverential eyes to the stars, yet know and love this kind, warm earth, we would take counsel awhile. It is not thought praiseworthy to wear nasty clothes, to have ugly flowers in the garden, dull books on the table, comfortless furniture in the home, and horrid pictures on the wall. Why, then, are God's good gifts of food and drink to be spoiled by stupidity and mismanagement?...Let us not, then, be too highbrow to learn something both