APAD: God sends meat and the devil sends cooks

最西边的岛上
楼主 (文学城)


"God sends meat and the devil sends cooks" is attributed to Thomas Deloney (1543-1600)

Meaning:


 

- source: https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/215438
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Actually I found this proverb when I tried to find cooking quotes on dear Google yesterday, and found it's funny first without knowing the meaning.

If you are wondering what a chef would think about the proverb, I found an interesting post on "ChefsOpinion" (https://chefsopinion.org/), a blog run by a chef who has been in the industry for 50 years.  The blogger referred to an article about the proverb written by another chef Randy Burns (sorry if the two chefs thingy confused you as it did to me first ;-).  

Burns said: "I heard this proverb recently and I must admit that the impact of it made me stop and think, it resonated profoundly with me.  Regardless of one’s personal perception/reaction to this sentiment every Cook that I spoke with about this liked and appreciated it, they all felt an affinity with it as I did."

If you have time and are interested in reading more, the very informative article can be found at: https://chefsopinion.org/2018/07/31/god-sends-meat-and-the-devil-sends-cooks/
 

For me, although my hearing was never very good, but "when god closes a door he opens a window" (another idiom :-). My senses of smell and taste do belong to the "supertaster" group, which can be an advantage for a cook.  In the beginning, I always used a cook book, and even brought one with me when I came to Canada, among other not so practical books (see pic below).  The funny thing was that I brought the cooking book 菜谱 but forgot the cleaver 菜刀 (some cook I was then ).

Gradually I used the cooking books less and less, and until one day I didn't feel I needed them anymore.  Not only can one find so many new recipes online, after being been a cook long enough you know what is missing by just smell and/or taste.

Oh, If you enjoy cooking or eating but haven't seen the animated movie "Ratatouille" yet, I strongly recommended it.  It's a very fun film of a rat chef.  I don't remember how many times I watched it, and still want to watch again.
 

Happy Tuesday everyone, even if you are not a cook, or are not cooking today.

pic: some (not so useful) books I brought with me 37 some years ago

移花接木
God brings essential, & devil brings merry. both are must

to have

最西边的岛上
right, aCook can'tCook w/oMeat; meat can't b eaten w/o aCook
暖冬cool夏
The difference btw need and want?昨晚是我搞错了,白高兴了一场。还是因为不熟悉操作。谢
最西边的岛上
normally need is mustHave; want is nice 2 have but not must.
最西边的岛上
没事儿,我们都这样希望也不会放弃救人努力!The day is young&time is on ourSide ;-)
7
7grizzly
Clearly God intends us to enjoy raw meat. The devil again
7
7grizzly
scuttled the plan by corruption.
最西边的岛上
hahaha, U r so funny! then we should blame the one who
最西边的岛上
discovered fire! No fire, noCooking, b equal to all animals!
7
7grizzly
Eons later, when humans look back, they might agree :-)
最西边的岛上
onlyIf humans still exist byThen, Wait, byThen it'll b AImen
最西边的岛上
那时分不清机器人和人机器,"一切诸相,即是非相, 一切众生, 即非众生"。 大概可以不用吃饭不需厨师了。阿弥陀佛 ;))
7
7grizzly
Deep, bottomless, and unfathomable. I try to stay away:-)
最西边的岛上
that is scary! I'm glad that I' ll be long gone bf then ;-))
天边一片白云
haha. I brought the "唐宋词“ too。but never read it.
天边一片白云
I throwed it away along with some other books from China.
天边一片白云
I brought 菜刀, no 菜谱 from China.
最西边的岛上
haha,bcoz U were already a cook, I was trying 2 become1 ;-))
天边一片白云
Thank you for recommending the movie. I will check it out.