--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as…" description: "\"Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as 'art for art's sake' it is unthinkable. A man may sing in his bath every morning without the least encouragement,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/andre-simon-36850_art_cookery-is-a-wholly-unselfish-art-as-art_2051120.jpg" --- # Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as 'art for art's sake'… ![“Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as 'art for art's sake' it is unthinkable. A man may sing in his bath every morning without the least encouragement, but no cook can cook just for his or her own sake in a like manner. All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for.” quote by Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/andre-simon-36850_art_cookery-is-a-wholly-unselfish-art-as-art_2051120.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/andre-simon-36850_art_cookery-is-a-wholly-unselfish-art-as-art_2051120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63d/andre-simon-36850_art_cookery-is-a-wholly-unselfish-art-as-art_2051120.jpg) > “Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as 'art for art's sake' it is unthinkable. A man may sing in his bath every morning without the least encouragement, but no cook can cook just for his or her own sake in a like manner. All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for.” [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cooking, like true art, requires an audience; it loses meaning when done solely for self‑gratification. **In simple terms:** Cooking needs an audience to be meaningful. Key Takeaway Cook for others, not just yourself. Themes art purpose audience creativity service Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - restaurant service - home cooking - culinary education - food blogging - charity events Key Concepts Aesthetic value social connection motivation Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from your cooking? - How does audience shape your culinary choices? A Different Perspective If the audience is indifferent, the cook may feel unmotivated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Baths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baths/) [Cook Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cook-just-779564/) [Cookery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cookery/) [Cookery Wholly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cookery-wholly-3866544/) [Cooking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooking/) [Cooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooks/) [Encouragement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encouragement/) [Every morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-morning/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Good cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-cook/) [Good Cooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-cooks-298991/) [Great art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-art/) [Great artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-artist/) [Great Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-artists/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Sake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sake/) [Unselfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unselfish/) [Unthinkable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unthinkable/) [Worth Cooking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-cooking-3866545/) ## Related quotes > [Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/cookery-is-a-wholly-unselfish-art-all-good-cooks-like-all-great/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [A lot of musicians are good cooks, and a lot of cooks are musicians, but I think that may just be a result of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/a-lot-of-musicians-are-good-cooks-and-a-lot-of-cooks-are-musicians/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [So long as people don't know how to eat they will not have good cooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-escoffier/so-long-as-people-don-t-know-how-to-eat-they-will-not-have-good-cooks/) [Auguste Escoffier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-escoffier/) > [A lot of artists are good cooks as I'm too, but coming from a culture that was very concerned with food, I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-sonnier/a-lot-of-artists-are-good-cooks-as-i-m-too-but-coming-from-a-culture/) [Keith Sonnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-sonnier/) > [There are many people who claim to be good cooks; just as there are many people who, after having repainted the garden gate take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernand-point/there-are-many-people-who-claim-to-be-good-cooks-just-as-there-are/) [Fernand Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernand-point/) > [Some people are good cooks and some people are good... I don't see why you have to do all of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-fairfield/some-people-are-good-cooks-and-some-people-are-good-i-don-t-see-why/) [Frank Fairfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-fairfield/) > [My mom's always been a good cook, so I took a lot of stuff from her, but most of the stuff I took from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-kane/my-mom-s-always-been-a-good-cook-so-i-took-a-lot-of-stuff-from-her/) [Christian Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-kane/) > [“the sort of fish that a good fisherman puts back into the water so that it may grow fatter and be one day worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-sort-of-fish-that-a-good-fisherman-puts-back-into-the-water-so/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Good cookery is not an extravagance but an economy, and many a tasty dish is made by our Continental friends out of materials which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/good-cookery-is-not-an-extravagance-but-an-economy-and-many-a-tasty/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [It may be safely averred that good cookery is the best and truest economy, turning to full account every wholesome article of food, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-acton/it-may-be-safely-averred-that-good-cookery-is-the-best-and-truest/) [Eliza Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-acton/) > [Well, I grew up in Switzerland where my parents were immigrant workers, but my whole family are very good cooks - my father also.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-di-matteo/well-i-grew-up-in-switzerland-where-my-parents-were-immigrant-workers/) [Roberto Di Matteo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-di-matteo/) > [I don't have a long family history of good cooks in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-flay/i-don-t-have-a-long-family-history-of-good-cooks-in-my-family/) [Bobby Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-flay/) > [People who love to eat much are not good cooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russyb/people-who-love-to-eat-much-are-not-good-cooks/) [Russyb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russyb/) > [I can cook, but I just don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-can-cook-but-i-just-don-t/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [I never have time to cook, so I just look through the books and imagine the dishes I would make if I wasn't going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isla-fisher/i-never-have-time-to-cook-so-i-just-look-through-the-books-and/) [Isla Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isla-fisher/) ## More by Andre Simon > [Black coffee must be strong and very hot; if strong coffee does not agree with you, do not drink black coffee. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/black-coffee-must-be-strong-and-very-hot-if-strong-coffee-does-not/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Beans are highly nutritious and satisfying, they can also be delicious if and when properly prepared, and they posses over all vegetables the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/beans-are-highly-nutritious-and-satisfying-they-can-also-be-delicious/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [The first of all considerations is that our meals shall be fun as well as fuel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/the-first-of-all-considerations-is-that-our-meals-shall-be-fun-as/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [A man dies too young if he leaves any wine in his cellar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/a-man-dies-too-young-if-he-leaves-any-wine-in-his-cellar/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Cooks are in some ways very much like actors; they must be fit and strong, since acting and cooking are two of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/cooks-are-in-some-ways-very-much-like-actors-they-must-be-fit-and/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/wine-makes-every-meal-an-occasion-every-table-more-elegant-every-day/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well matched they are as body and soul, living partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/food-without-wine-is-a-corpse-wine-without-food-is-a-ghost-united-and/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Chicken may be eaten constantly without becoming nauseating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/chicken-may-be-eaten-constantly-without-becoming-nauseating/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Wine makes every meal an occasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/wine-makes-every-meal-an-occasion/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Among the faithful, in the great kitchens of the world, Escoffier is to Careme what the New Testament is to the Old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/among-the-faithful-in-the-great-kitchens-of-the-world-escoffier-is-to/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) > [Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/cookery-is-a-wholly-unselfish-art-all-good-cooks-like-all-great/) [Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) [Explore all 12 Andre Simon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: as 'art for art's sake' it is unthinkable. 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