Larousse Gastronomique

_____The topic of cookbooks in this forum made me think of asking about Larousse Gastronomique. I've seen this mentioned quite often in my cookbook investigations. I've even thumbed through it at Barnes & Nobles once. I don't, however, see it in many homes nor do I hear people talk about it often. Does anyone out there own it? Is it a worthy book for the serious home cook (especially for that price!)?

Thanks,

Zin

Zin wrote:_____The topic of cookbooks in this forum made me think of asking about Larousse Gastronomique. I've seen this mentioned quite often in my cookbook investigations. I've even thumbed through it at Barnes & Nobles once. I don't, however, see it in many homes nor do I hear people talk about it often. Does anyone out there own it? Is it a worthy book for the serious home cook (especially for that price!)?

Thanks,

Zin

Zin, I picked up a copy at a book fair that VI and me went to a few years ago. He was surprised I bought it...because it's an encyclopedia with many generalized recipes, descriptions of cooking techniques, biographies of chefs, etc. It's a classic (preface by Escoffier), and of antiquarian interest, but I don't think many people actually use it as a cook book (any more -- it was published in the late 30s).

Hammond

I once owned this cookbook and don't remember making anything from it. It was given away or sold at a garage sale when we moved from our house 10 years ago. I guess VI did not take that book at the time although he has many of my old books.
Paulette

David Hammond wrote:It's a classic (preface by Escoffier), and of antiquarian interest, but I don't think many people actually use it as a cook book (any more -- it was published in the late 30s).

Hamster,

Pre internet I used my Larousse Gastronomique frequently for reference, not so much anymore, though I still find it invaluable. If nothing else it provides an interesting glance into a culinary perspective much different than my own.

Larousse Gastronomique was updated in 1988 and again in 2001. I have not seen the 2001 version.

Enjoy,
Gary

I use my 1988 version of Larousse Gastronomique from time to time, especially as a reference for classic European recipes. (If I ever try a feast similar to Mike G's amazing-looking Belgian dinner, I'll be referring to Larousse Gastronomique a lot.)

I've got a '90 reprint of the '88 edition. Must admit to having looked into it only a couple of times. But TODG, who's more of a classicist than I am, has used it fairly often. She does deserts mostly, methinks.

Geo

I received the 2000 reprint for Christmas. There's been a bit of vitriol tossed around vis a vis this edition's multicultural expansion. Work's for me. There are odd omissions here and there, but it's sheer depth makes it easy to overlook those and the occasional misprint. Though Larousse contains recipes I really don't consider it a cookbook.

You can find various editions at the big Chicago book fests. Just last Printer's Row I spied a 1950's? version and was heading over to the stall to grab it when another lucky(fie!) shopper grabbed it off the shelf. Insult to injury it was part of a buy any 3 for ten bucks deal. I've also seen them(same vintage) at other stalls for 50 bucks, but you can purchase the new edition for that amount off Amazon.

I should add that, at least for me, this was a great Christmas gift. It's something I've talked about buying forever, but never took the plunge.
In the past month I've spent several evenings sometimes skimming through it, others, picking a spot that looks interesting and reading from there. I anticipate many such evenings, but, then one of my favorite things is to curl up with a good book.

As for rarely seeing LG in peoples' homes; I've only ever seen it on the shelves of culinary professionals. Perhaps it's a required textbook at some schools?

Seems a bit odd and somewhat antiquarian, but it does have the weight of history(and pages and pages and pages) behind it.

I received a copy a few years ago as a gift, and I love it. In some ways, I think of it like a dictionary. I rarely find occasion to use it, but when I do, I'm glad I have it.

I have it, but I'm a bit of a book hoarder. I have used it on a few occasions to look up unusual ingredients and foreign dishes, but most of all I just like how it looks in my kitchen! I got mine via my membership with http://www.thegoodcook.com. I can't remember if I got it as a freebie when I joined or during one of their 50% off sales.

I have a pre-1950 that I picked up at Booklegger's on Broadway for $18. I've made a few thinks from it, but, use it mainly as a reference.

I really consider it pleasure reading. It's a great thing to pick up when you have a few minutes to read... I am about half-way through "F."

I have the 1961 edition, which was labeled as the first English translation. There wasn't much updating from the original from the late 1930s. I haven't used it much in the last 30 years but did find it to be a very useful reference in the 1960s. I never used it much for cooking compared to Escoffier, but information from both became implanted in my brain and reflected in my cooking.

I worked for a chef/cookbook author as a personal assistant for a couple of years and he and all his chef friends had a copy of it at home and at their restaurants. So I'm assuming it's a pretty standard reference book.

I have the 1961 version (same year I was born). And I just love it. I picked it up at Bookmans' Alley a few years ago for $15. Sometimes I play a little game where I just open it and blindly point to an entry. I've learned many things from this game.

There are a whole bunch of these books for bid at ebay. It's interesting to see all the differnt cover designs. Some copies are only a few bucks while one is up to $75. --Joy

Yesterday, I stopped by the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe Harbor. THe club is closed for January but there were quite a few workmen going in and out with tools and dropcloths. Obviously some kind of spiffing up is going on. In the lobby of the club, piled into three or four tall piles, were all the Chef's cookbooks and binders. I could not help but notice the top book on one stack was the Gastronomique! I had never actually had one of these in hand but, with the timely discussion here, I was compelled to check the publishing date -- 1962 edition IIRC. I also got to page through the book a bit while trying to resist the impulse to stuff the book under my coat and bolt out the door with it! ha ha ha What a wonderful looking book. Thanks to this Forum for flying it onto my radar screen! --Joy

the map of Burgundy on page 161 with all the regional offerings (suckling pig, comte etc) is worth $15 bucks in my humble opinion. But seriously, we've owned a 1961 edition for about 5 years (we scored it from my mother-in-law who never once cracked it open) and truth be told, it actually served as my son Sam's version of a booster chair/telephone book at our breakfast table but since then we've been looking at it rather lovingly and quietly and feeling very grateful. It's a doorstop so if you have limited bookshelf situation, take that into consideration, but it's an amazing text and more helpful than the more portable Food Lover's Encyclopdeia which has no illustrations or bookplates.

bjt