Cooking For Kings, The Life of Antonin Careme

[Joyfull]

I just learned about this book last night and am wondered if any of you have it, and what your opinion might be?

Thanks so much,
Joyfull

[Nicko]

First I have heard of it sounds like it might be interesting though.

[Joyfull]

Originally Posted by Joyfull

I just learned about this book last night and am wondered if any of you have it, and what your opinion might be?

Thanks so much,
Joyfull

I just noticed I did not complete the title of the book! Not sure how I missed doing that..

Its: Cooking for Kings, The Life of Antonin Careme, The First Celebrity Chef.
By Ian Kelly..

[Whitey Ford]

I read this book about a year ago and it is a great biography of a great chef. The guy was an ophan/street kid in prerevolution France and somehow got hooked up with a major pastry chef in Paris. Learned how to make these giant tableau desserts for the aristocracy and royalty---we're talking recreations of the Roman Forum in spun sugar and marzipan. He was able to avoid leaders (kings, popes, bankers) who were on their way out and glom onto the ones with real power and money.

The book includes his recipes---fantastic, out of this world stuff. We're talking a fish stew that requires 10 bottles of champagne, 20 eels, 20 flounder, 50 lobsters, a bushel of scallops, a bushel of oysters, 10 lbs butter, etc.

He was so reknowned that there were bidding wars for his services. He also was a kitchen architect who was allowed by his patrons to design and build kitchens---complete with cold rooms, hot rooms and greenhouses---he grew pineapples in France!

A great book that anybody with an interest in food would relish!

[shroomgirl]

we reviewed it just after it came out....should be in the archives. Good read.

[OregonYeti]

A side note on the title. What we think of as regular Indian and Chinese food comes from what royalty ate not that long ago in those 2 countries. Most people in those countries hardly ever had meat or fowl.

[Joyfull]

Thanks for the imput everyone. Sorry I'm so late in getting back on this but have just returned from a holiday at beautiful Cannon Beach Oregon.. Ahh, what a lovely place!

[OregonYeti]

Originally Posted by Joyfull

Thanks for the imput everyone. Sorry I'm so late in getting back on this but have just returned from a holiday at beautiful Cannon Beach Oregon.. Ahh, what a lovely place!

We Oregonians think of BC as a wonderful place to visit

[Littlemama]

I lived in Washington state for 4years, visited Oregon once and thought it was beautiful...missed going to canada. my loss i guess.

[Littlemama]

I lived in Washington state for 4years, visited Oregon once and thought it was beautiful...missed going to canada. my loss i guess.

[Joyfull]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

We Oregonians think of BC as a wonderful place to visit

And it is! I'm in New Westminster BC, just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver.. We've vacationed here and there throughout BC for years and years and love every minute of it..
We also try to make the Oregon Coast trip every two years though. Our favorite stops are Cannon Beach and Seaside..
Cannon Beach for staying over, Seaside for fun and Shopping! Shopping! Shopping!!

[MikeLM]

Also lived in Washington State for four years. We liked to go down to the Oregon coast to vacation, and went to the Adobe Motel in Yachats, well south of Cannon Beach. About 40 years ago, it had a nationally-recognized restaurant with an all-glass wall facing the Pacific Ocean about sixty feet from the surf. A fabulous setting for a wonderful restaurant.

Anybody know if it's still there? If it is, how's the food?

Mike

Took a couple of visits to realize that Yachats is pronounced yaa-hots.

[sawse]

Back to Cooking For Kings, The Life of Antonin Careme,
this book also provides a lot of insight into the history of food and its evolution, and some of the "dark" side of being a chef during the days of Careme. His health suffered mightily from the fumes from the poorly ventilated kitchens during the time, and the long hours that he worked pushed him into exhaustion, further compromising his health.