To go into your kitchen armed with this book is to learn how to prepare food under the tutelage of a sorceress, who is also a master French chef.  Darlene Geis

{HISTORY}

The first female graduate of l'Ecole du Cordon Bleu, one of the most well-known educational culinary institutions in the world, was Dione Lucas (1909-1971). Dione fell in love with cooking so much, that upon completion of her coursework, she 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 (known as The Gourmet Cooking School) and a restaurant (The Egg Basket) all based upon her training at the 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 food to eager cooks both stateside and abroad. She hosted her own television show, wrote numerous cookbooks, appeared in ad campaigns, endorsed her favorite kitchen products, and made public appearances throughout her career.

A culinary dynamo of the 20th century, unfortunately, Dione's contributions to the industry have been mostly overshadowed publicly these days by Julia Child's contributions to the culinary world.  Luckily though we still have Dione's cookbooks. Like lost treasures bursting with joy, imagination, and confidence Dione invites readers to partake in her masterclass - to become students of her cooking school where she teaches French techniques, step by step, while also offering expert guidance and advice menu by menu throughout the book. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Published in 1964, Third Printing

- 366 pages

- Instruction is laid out by the preparation of 29 menus. Each menu contains 3-4 recipes including both the French and English names,  along with a shopping market list,  wine pairings, items you will need for your preparation tray and some light history about each dish

- All recipes contain whole, fresh ingredients that are easily attainable 

- Interesting recipes include Velvet Sauce, Scallion and Raw Mushroom Soup, Chicken in Half-Mourning, Rice Singapore, Chocolate Roll, Chicken with Orange and Peppers, Melon and Ginger, Home Baked White Bread, Parisian Gnocchi- and many more! 

- Illustrated throughout with line drawings by John Alcorn

{CONDITION}

True to its cooking instruction intention, this cookbook is in well-loved vintage condition and bears some light cooking stains throughout along with foxing on both the front and back cover and endpapers. A favorite recipe of a previous owner was Pommes de Terre Duchesse (page 337), which bears the most cooking stains (always the sign of a well-loved recipe!). The spine is tight, all pages are intact and bright. 

{SIZE}

Measures 7.5" inches (width) x 10" inches (length) x 1.25" inches (thick) and weighs 2.4lbs

{FOR THE COLLECTOR}

Looking for more vintage French cookbooks for your collection? Try this one and this one.