From the Shelf: For the Love of Larousse

Time and time again, I return to my love that is Larousse. There is no crisis that cannot be solved by this book! Can't remember the name of that cheese you tasted two summers ago at a dinner party hosted by your ex's mother? Lookup 'cheese' and you probably find it there. Don't remember how to prepare 'pate choux'? It's in there, with pictures to guide you every step of the way. Are Marie Antoine Careme and Marie Antoinette the same person? Of course not, but you could learn about them both in the Larousse. Robbers in your house? Check the entry for Ratatouille. Chances are they'll be joining you for dinner. When they get a whiff of this old country favourite, chances are, they'll leave you and your belongings in peace, and be thankful they stopped by.



Seriously though, the new and very much updated edition is both a marvel to look at and to read. It will put a dent in your wallet ($120) last I checked, but it is well worth every penny! And this, coming from a poor student!

It's full of useful techniques, foodie facts, hundreds of recipes, and lots of conversation starters.

If I had to mention one con, it's the translation. I've got the English version and I now wish I had the French. When you look up 'zucchini' it tells you to 'see courgette', but when you look up 'pate brisee' there' nothing, because it comes under 'short crust'

From Wikipedia:
The first edition (1938) was edited by Prosper Montagné, with prefaces by Georges Auguste Escoffier (what's good for Escoffier is clearly good for me) and Philéas Gilbert. Gilbert was a collaborator in the creation of this book as well as Le Guide Culinaire with Escoffier, leading to some cross-over with the two books. It caused Escoffier to note when he was asked to write the preface that he could "see with my own eyes," and "Montagné cannot hide from me the fact that he has used Le Guide as a basis for his new book, and certainly used numerous recipes."[1]

The Pros:

The look, the in-depth explanations of everything French, the images, the layout, the recipes (which are nothing fancy, but easy to follow and good as standard)

The Cons:

the price, it's weight (it's meant to stay at home), the translation