THIS BOOK IS AN ATTEMPT TO HELP OTHERS WHO LOVE GOOD FOOD, TO INSPIRE THEM TO THE LEVEL OF THE CREATIVE ARTIST, SO THAT THEY TOO WILL KNOW THE REAL SATISFACTION THAT COMES FROM DISHES WELL PREPARED. DIONE LUCAS

{HISTORY}

The Cordon Bleu (also known as l'Ecole du Cordon Bleu and the School of the Blue Ribbon) is one of the most well-known educational culinary institutions in the world. First established in Paris in 1880 by Mademoiselle Marthe Distel, it originally started as a series of hands-on cooking lessons for middle-class and upper-class young women. Quickly, its reputation of producing well-prepared, delicious French dishes grew to the point that chefs and home cooks of all skill levels from all around the world were flocking to Paris to take classes there. 

The first female graduate of l'Ecole du Cordon Bleu was Dione Lucas (1909-1971), who fell in love with cooking so much that upon completion of her coursework opened her own Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. It was such a successful endeavor that she next opened London's Cordon Bleu restaurant along with a fellow Bleu alum. When life circumstances took Dione to New York City in the early 1940s, she again opened both a cooking school and a restaurant, all in the name of Cordon Bleu.

Like Julia Child's career trajectory, Dione's adventures with food led her to become an expert in the field of preparing and presenting European-style cuisine to eager cooks both stateside and abroad. She hosted her own television show, wrote numerous cookbooks, appeared in ad campaigns, and made public appearances throughout her career.

A culinary dynamo of the 20th century, sadly, Dione's contributions to the industry have been mostly overshadowed publicly by Julia Child. But her London Le Cordon Bleu school is still going strong today, along with the Bleu brand, which has opened cooking schools in over two dozen countries and graduates thousands of blue ribbon students every year. 

This cookbook was published in 1947, five years after Dione opened her Cordon Bleu school in NYC, and features recipes used in her cooking school. A bestseller from the beginning, it went through dozens of additional printings. This book is the 22nd printing, most likely published around the early 1960s, as there is a Christmas gift inscription included on the front endpaper dating to 1961. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- 22nd Printing of 1947 original debut by Little, Brown and Company

- 322 pages

- 10 chapters total include Menus; Wine; Utensils; Hors D'Oeuvres; Soups; Fish; Game, Poultry and Meats; Eggs; Vegetables; and Desserts

- Each recipe contains whole, fresh ingredients that are easily attainable. Some recipes even include trendy (by today's standards) ingredients like rice flour 

- Interesting recipes include: Chicken with Lobster and Fried Eggs, Salmon with Eggplant and Mushrooms, Portuguese Soup, Croque Madames, Lion's Teeth, Chestnuts with Meringue and Chocolate Cream Puffs

- Illustrated throughout with line drawings by Phoebe Nicol 

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. The dust jacket contains some chippy spots along the bottom edge of the spine and two small rips at the top edge on the front. The cookbook is clean and bright throughout, with the exception of one cooking stain (red wine!) which affects the bottom corner of all pages. This spot is light and does not affect the recipes or the integrity of the book in any way.  The spine is tight, the decorated coverboards are clean and bright,  and all pages are intact. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Measures 5.5" inches (width) x 8.25" inches (length) x 1.25" inches (thick) and weighs 1.4lbs