Product Description
These three books by Francois Pierre de la Varenne (c. 1615-1678), who was chef to the Marquis d'Uxelles, are the most important French cookery books of the seventeenth century. It was the first French cookery book of any substance since Le Viandier almost 300 years before, and it ran to thirty editions in 75 years. The reason for its success was simply that it was the first book to record and embody the immense advances that French cooking had made, largely under the influence of Italy and the Renaissance, since the fifteenth century. Some characteristics of medieval cookery are still visible, but many have disappeared. New World ingredients make their entrance. A surprising number of recipes for dishes still made in modern times (omelettes, beignets, even pumpkin pie) are given. The watershed from medieval to modern times is being crossed under our eyes in La Varenne's pages. So important was this book that English cooks of the time immediately bought copies and one (anonymous) even translated it into English in the middle of the Puritan rule of Oliver Cromwell. This translation, as is the original, is extremely difficult to understand: there are difficult words, omissions, mistranslations, and other opacities. Terence Scully has solved all modern readers' problems by undertaking a modern translation with detailed commentary of the original French texts. His work takes cognisance of the early English translation, as well as not ignoring contemporary works available to those early cooks for purposes of comparison and contrast. Even French people will want to buy it for what he tells us of the workings of the French kitchen in the seventeenth century.
From the Inside Flap
LA VARENNES COOKERY
The French Cook; The French Pastry Chef; The French Confectioner
FRANÇOIS PIERRE, SIEUR DE LA VARENNE
A MODERN ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY BY TERENCE SCULLY
These books, first published in Paris between 1651 and 1660, are essential reading for anyone seeking to understand French cookery of the 17th century. Not only were they printed and reprinted in France itself for many decades, but they were soon translated and merrily pillaged throughout Europe (the first English translation of The French Cook was in 1653). La Varenne (c. 16151678) was chef to the Marquis dUxelles. His was the first French cookery book of any substance since Le Viandier almost 300 years earlier. It was, therefore, the first to record and embody the immense advances which French cooking had made, largely under the influence of Italy, since the 15th century. Some medieval characteristics are still visible, but many have disappeared. New World ingredients make their entrance; and a surprising number of recipes are for dishes still made in modern times (omelettes, beignets, even pumpkin pie). The watershed from medieval to modern times is being crossed under our eyes in La Varennes pages.
Earlier translations, as indeed the original itself, are not easy for modern readers to understand: there are difficult words, omissions, mistranslations and other opacities. Terence Scully has solved our problems by undertaking a modern translation with a detailed commentary. His work takes cognisance of contemporary works for purposes of comparison and contrast so that even French people will profit from what he tells us of the workings of the classical French kitchen.
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