Elisabeth responded to the Bohemian freedom of theatrical life and she felt a tremendous release. Here she learned about hard drinking at post-performance parties and in long sessions at the pub, and discovered that she had a very strong head. She never once had a speaking part.
He talked about food because it mattered, because it was part of civilized life, to be enjoyed as profoundly as every other pleasure, such as art (which too many pretentious people revered).
In a furious revolt against that terrible, cheerless, heartless food, she wrote down descriptions of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Even to write words like apricot, olives and butter, rice and lemons, oil and almonds, produced comfort.