Introduction: A as in Artusi, G as in Gentleman and Gastronome

In love, the beforehand is either an itch that hurts or a hurricane that topples trees and ruins crops. The meanwhile is ever so sweet, but, alas, it does not last very long. I am not one to agree with the French Epicurean who say that it lasts only for the time it takes to swallow an egg, but I must confess, nonetheless, that the meanwhile can be measured not in days, nor in hours, but in seconds on the hands of a watch.

Afterwards is at times tart, at other times bitter: in the most fortunate cases it is a wearisome state, in other words, a kind of tiredness. In the most unhappy cases, which are rather frequent, it is like pain or regret, or both.

With food instead, the beforehand is delicious, the meanwhile more delicious, and the afterwards more delicious still.

Paolo Mantegazza, In Praise of Old Age