Improvising Quotes

“Think it a vile habit to alter works of good composers, to omit parts of them, or to insert new-fashioned ornaments. This is the greatest insult you can offer to Art.”
― Robert Schumann, Advice To Young Musicians

“In one scene, when I was supposed to say, "In a pig's eye you are," what came out was, "In a pig's ass you are." Old habits die awfully hard.”
― Ava Gardner, Ava: My Story

“I improvise therefore I exist!”
― Ljupka Cvetanova, The New Land

“Improvising is copying the line that is already written in your karma.”
― Alain Bremond-Torrent, running is flying intermittently

“Make the best experiences out of the minimum resources that are at your disposal.”
― Mitta Xinindlu

“Remembering the careful way the cooks she'd met chose their ingredients--- the snails at L'Ami Louis, Taeb's saffron, Baldwin's asparagus--- Stella thought Django was more like a magician, conjuring dishes out of thin air. By the time George nudged Stella aside to poke his nose in the door, Lucie was strewing crisp breadcrumbs on top of a thick vegetable potage, and Django was stirring a tart lemon pudding. Downstairs, customers lingered, people who had intended on stopping in for a moment stayed on as increasingly seductive scents wafted through the shop.
Unwilling to admit that he was pleased, George tasted the pudding and grumbled, "You've used up all the eggs. And I wanted gingerbread for tonight's reading."
"Gingerbread!" Django pulled a face. "Nous sommes en France. I will make something more appropriate." Still standing in the doorway, Stella wondered how he would manage this; he'd used everything in the kitchen except an aged pound cake resembling a rock, a handful of desiccated dried apricots, and the sour milk.
"We'll make some coffee." Django was tearing up the stale cake. As she watched, he produced curds from the sour milk, cooked the apricots into jam, and soaked the cake in coffee. With a flourish, he pulled a bar of chocolate from his pocket. "J'ai toujours du chocolat sur moi." He melted the chocolate, stirring in the last of the coffee. "I always have chocolate. You never know when you will need it." Against her better judgement, Stella was charmed.
Lucie stood close by, watching him layer the coffee-drenched cake with jam, curds, and chocolate, grabbing each spoon as he finished. "Will you make this for my birthday?" she asked.
"No."
"Please," she begged.
"For your birthday I will make something better.”
― Ruth Reichl, The Paris Novel

“Earlier this afternoon when Kate was unpacking the food delivery, she'd suffered a mild meltdown when she realized she'd ordered raspberries, not cherries, there wasn't enough asparagus, and she hadn't allowed enough time to factor in more shopping. But then Cecily's advice, from "Dinner in a Bed-Sitting Room" had popped into her mind: What can't be disguised must be utilized. Don't apologize--- improvise. Kate had turned the raspberries into a sharp, fruity purée for Bellinis, kept the chocolate mousse simple, and ended up asking Martin to find more greens--- if not asparagus, then frozen peas or broad beans. The pasta had turned out even better, the peas adding sweet little bursts of freshness to cut through the rich, creamy, smoky sauce.”
― Vicky Zimmerman, Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies

“I choose a long, flat stone from the pile and wedge it carefully between two larger stones in the wall. It's a good fit, I note with satisfaction.
"You've always been good at that, making something out of very little," Nicolo responds, and there's a fondness and admiration in his gaze that surprises me. He sees something in me I forgot was even there.”
― Rachel Linden, The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake