La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange: The Original Companion for French Home Cooking

First published in 1927 to educate French housewives in the art of classical cooking, LA BONNE CUISINE DE MADAME E. SAINT-ANGE has since become the bible of French cooking technique, found on every kitchen shelf in France. A housewife and a professional chef, Madame Evelyn Saint-Ange wrote in a rigorous yet highly instructive and engaging style, explaining in extraordinary detail the proper way to skim a sauce, stuff a chicken, and construct a pâté en croûte.

Though her text has never before been translated into English,Madame Saint-Ange's legacy has lived on through the cooking of internationally renowned chefs like Julia Child and Madeleine Kamman, setting the standard for practical home cooking as well as haute cuisine. In this momentous translation by Chez Panisse cofounder and original chef de cuisine Paul Aratow, Madame Saint-Ange's culinary wisdom is available in English for the first time.

Enveloped in charming intricacies of even the most fundamental cooking techniques are 1,300 authentic French recipes for such classics as Braised Beef, Quiche Lorraine, Cassoulet, and Apricot Soufflé; original illustrations of prepping and cooking techniques; and seasonal menus for every meal of the day. An indispensable culinary encyclopedia and an absorbing historical document, LA BONNE CUISINE DE MADAME E. SAINT-ANGE is the definitive word on French cooking for food lovers, dedicated cooks, culinary professionals, and Francophiles alike.

"Translated into English for the first time since its original 1927 publication, La Bonne Cuisine has long been the French housewife's equivalent of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook or The Joy of Cooking — a trusted and comprehensive guide to 'la cuisine bourgeoise' or home cooking, rather than the haute cuisine of chefs and Escoffier. Julia Child called LBC 'one of my bibles' and drew heavily upon its detailed approach to preparation as she labored on her own classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Aratow has retained the book's exhaustive scope and delightfully imperious Gallic tone ('The only true roast is a roast cooked on a spit'). The result is a comprehensive if old-fashioned tome that is an excellent basic guide to techniques, equipment and every staple of the French repertoire, from Sauce Velout and Fricasse de Poulet to Crme Caramel. Francophiles and food history buffs will thrill to see the legendary book in its entirety, complete with original illustrations, though few modern cooks still need guidelines for lighting the firebox of a cast-iron coal-fired stove or plucking and flaming a fresh-killed chicken. A more detailed apparatus of notes on modernization would've made the book more user-friendly. As it stands, this magisterial translation offers a window into a bygone moment in French life and is a testament to the enduring joy of cooking with cookbooks." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

The French equivalent of "The Joy of Cooking"--featuring classic French techniques and 1,300 recipes--is available in English for the first time. 110 illustrations.

PAUL ARATOW is a writer and film producer in the entertainment industry. In 1970 he founded Chez Panisse with Alice Waters. Before that, he was a faculty member in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Studio City, California.

MADELEINE KAMMAN was born in Paris and started her culinary career in 1940 at her aunt’s restaurant in the Touraine region of France. A revered culinary instructor since 1962, Kamman has written two other books: Dinner Against the Clock and The New Making of a Cook.