Samuel Chamberlain

This is a coffee table-sized hefty hardcover book, published in 1952, that explores the full breadth of France with a gastronomical focus. Samuel Chamberlain and his family stayed in inns and ate in restaurants and cafes everywhere, and collected recipes from chefs as they went. The result is pretty extraordinary for then, and now. Food has a lot to do with history and culture, so those are worked in as well--plus, quite a bit about how France is recovering (or not recovering) from World War show more II. At the time of publication, the scars in Normandy were especially visible. There are black and white photographs and illustrations through (done by the author). The back of the book includes even more recipes, organized by province, that were published by Gourmet Magazine.

As a modern day read... it's something of a slog. The tone is fairly formal, and the book is huge. This is a book best to read in small morsels. Even so, I liked it overall. If I were time-traveling to 1950 France I would totally take this book and have a foodie road trip. show less

If you've ever dreamed of having your personal French cook whipping up delicious meals nightly in your kitchen, this is the book for you. Written almost seventy years ago during World War II, this book evokes a vanished time in France (and also in the United States) and introduces the reader to Clementine, a sturdy Burgundian cook who not only dishes up wonderful meals for an American expatriate family while they live in a little town outside of Paris, but also then follows them to show more Marblehead, Massachusetts when they are repatriated back home at the outbreak of World War II.

Loaded with descriptions of local markets and the confusion of cultures when country France meets America in the 1940's, this book is a delight to read. It also includes over 150 recipes that any cook worth his or her salt will want to try at home. show less

Charming! I didn't try the recipes, but I loved reading about life in France between the wars, and about Clementine's move to the US. The food sounded delicious, too.

This is really a story with some recipes in it. It gives the life and cooking philosophy of a woman from France who is the maid and cook for an American family. Lovely story which makes you drool.