SC - La Varenne

[Daniel Phelps]

I'm having trouble postingthis so I will try again

Was written:
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>>In my search for recipes for the Boar Hunt, someone on the list sent
>>me a recipe or two from La Varenne, apparently a famous and
>>influential French chef of the mid-17th century.
>>
>>I've been searching on the web for his book, the title of which is, i
>>think, Le cuisiner francois or  Le cuisiner francais. So far, no luck.
>>
>>Anyone know where i can find more of his recipes?
>
>A quick rummage through my collection suggests:
>
>Try "The Grand Masters of French Cuisine; Five Centuries of Great Cooking
>(from 1373 to 1873)"
>Celine Vence and Robert Courtine, 1978,  G.P. Putnam and Sons orginally
>published in France as "Le Grands Maitres de la Cuisine Francaise", 1972 by
>Borgas
>
>Of Francois-Pierre de La Varenne's recipes it has:
>
>Soup, 1, Onion with milk
>entrees, 2, Cheese Tart and Oyster Pie
>eggs, 1, Eggs stuffed with Sorrel
>fish, 3, Perch in white wine, Grilled Fish, Pressed Fish
>meat, 3, Marinated loin of Roast Veal, "Epigram" Veal Nnuckle, Stuffed
>Breast of veal
>variety meats and charcuterie, 1, Fricasseed Calf's Liver
>Poultry and game, 1, Backed Foie Gras
>vegetables, 1, creamed spinich
>desserts and sweets, 3, Marzipan pie, egg bread susanne, frangipane pie
>drinks, 1, limonade
>
>The recipes listed above are entirely redacted with no orginals either in
>French or in direct English translation provided.  Oddly there is one
>unredacted recipe in English translation for Capon pie provided, as an
>example of his work, in thier short write up about him.
>
>The full title of his book, published in 1651, is "Le Cuisinier francois:
>Enseignant la maniere de bien appreter et assaissonner toutes sortes de
>viandes grasses et maigres, legumes, patisseries et autresmets qui servent
>tant sur les tables des Grands que des particuliers" or in English
>translation "The French Cook: Teaching the Manner of Preparing and Serving
>all sorts of Meats, Both Flesh and Fish, vegetables, Pastriesand other
dishs
>Served at the tables of the Great Lords as Well as those of Simple
>Individuals".  According to them it is considered the first "modern" French
>cookbook .
>
>Also included in "Grand Masters" which may be of interest are recipes from
>Taillevent, Menagier de Paris, Nostrodamas, Bonnefons (1654), Pierrede Lune
>(1651), Escole Parfaite des Officiers de Bouche (1662), the unknow L.S.R.
>(1674) Massilot, 1691, and Audiger (1692).  As the next entry dates from
>1733 I judge the remainder to be well out of period.
>
>Checking further I found a single recipe in "An Illustrated History of
>French Cuisine" for Jugged Hare Lavarenne that could be reasonably be
>expected to have come from him, the book is long on chat and short on
>dicumentation.
>
>I also found a single unredacted recipe of his in English translation for
>asparagus in "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee as well as three sauces;
>Sauce Robert, Flour liaison, and fragrant sauce.
>
>I checked my copy of Larousse Gastronomique (LG).  It provides a short bio
>and the following titles: Le Patissier francais (1653) Le Confiseur
francais
>(1664) Le Cuisinier francais (1651) L'Ecole des ragouts (1725).  Presumedly
>the last published well after his death is some sort of compendium?  Oddly
>LG lists in its bibliography attributed to him an additional book "La
>Cuisine methodique (1662)
>
>Hope this helps but I suspect, based in reading his bios, that many on the
>list may feel that La Varenne is beyond the pale.
>
>Let me know if I can be of further service.
>
>Daniel Raoul
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