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Cooking for Kings
by
Ian Kelly
“Cuisinier, architect, and one of the most prolific writers of the 19th century, Carême was the founder of a classic cuisine that would influence generations of chefs. In this well-researched book, Ian Kelly deftly recounts the exploits of this remarkable man.” —JACQUES PÉPIN
Aunique feast of biography and Regency cookbook, Cooking for Kings takes readers on a chef’s tour...more
Aunique feast of biography and Regency cookbook, Cooking for Kings takes readers on a chef’s tour...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
September 1st 2005
by Walker & Company
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Holy cannoli was this a bad book. In all honesty, I couldn't finish it, but I read enough to permit myself to list it here.
I guess it is interesting in the sense that it shows what results when someone who is obviously not much of a researcher nor historian writes about a historical figure who has left only a minimal paper trail.
You could open this book practically at random and find something laughable. For instance, Chapter 6 begins, "Betsy Patterson of Baltimore had hopes of ending 1807 as a...more
I guess it is interesting in the sense that it shows what results when someone who is obviously not much of a researcher nor historian writes about a historical figure who has left only a minimal paper trail.
You could open this book practically at random and find something laughable. For instance, Chapter 6 begins, "Betsy Patterson of Baltimore had hopes of ending 1807 as a...more
view all 5 comments
Before Antonin Careme, chefs wore slouchy workers' hats and any old color of clothing they wished. But as the first celebrity chef, whose work included designing centerpieces for Napoleon's nuptials and cooking for the Prince Regent (later King George IV of England), Careme insisted on the importance of hygiene in professional kitchens. White clothes were his way of signifying the seriousness with which cooks should take cleanliness; and those high chefs' hats (toques) were his way of displaying...more
An interesting peek into life during a true food revolution. As a modern-day foodie, I enjoyed reading about the life and lasting impact of Marie-Antoine (Antonin) Careme. In this modern age where an appliance exists for every task and dining conventions are taken for granted, many of the cooking innovations of the early 1800's were rather surprising.
The biography was written in a straightforward manner and I rather enjoyed the food-related quotations at the beginning of each chapter. I do wish...more
The biography was written in a straightforward manner and I rather enjoyed the food-related quotations at the beginning of each chapter. I do wish...more
Born into a poor family, Careme was abandoned and taken in by a cook, which event gave him his taste for his future career. And what a career. It began at an early age and he quickly became so well known that he prepared Napoleon's wedding feast, when he first encountered the nouveau riche, and went on to service such as Talleyrand, who remained a close friend all his life, the Prince Regent, the Tsare of Russia and the Rothschilds. Inhaling charcoal fumes from his cooking eventually killed him...more
This biography argues that Carême, a French chef in the first half of the 19th century, invented modern haute cuisine. It describes in great detail some of the aristocratic feasts he prepared. Carême kept detailed records and wrote several books; many of his recipes are featured throughout the book. If you want to try them, it will take some translation, since the units of measure he uses are different from modern ones. Also, make sure you have access to a food processor! There are some drawings...more
While there are a few pictures, and drawings of his creations, I do wish this book was a bit more in depth. Careme cooked at an insanely lavish time, banquets for 100's to 1000's, the menu lists are remarkable for the quantities (a dinner in two tents along the Champs-Elysee used 28,000 bottles of wine...)
It's an easy read and great for anyone into cooking, but it's breezy and light. I would have liked more research on what it involved to procure such quantities and comparative economics of the...more
It's an easy read and great for anyone into cooking, but it's breezy and light. I would have liked more research on what it involved to procure such quantities and comparative economics of the...more
More of a sketch than a biography. But I loved seeing 18th- and 19th-century France through the veneer of high-end cuisine.
While interesting, the interest stems mostly from the subject matter. After all, Careme was "the" progenitor of the chef as public persona and the first to truly codify the basics of French cooking. Reading about his rags to riches, or abandoned street urchin to celebrity life is, at the least, educational. That aside, the book itself suffers from stilted writing, it's a bit tedious, and in the end, a bit of a bore. There's almost a sense that the writer wants to prove his own importance simply...more
one of the best historical food books I've read. Antonin Careme had a close connection to so many events that shaped the world during his time. He was one of the first chefs by our modern day definition and we may never see such elaborate feasts the likes of which he created... unless there is yet another made for t.v. Kardashian wedding.
the book is also filled with recipes that give you a glimpse into the past... you can literally cook the foods enjoyed by kings, queens, and dictators the way C...more
the book is also filled with recipes that give you a glimpse into the past... you can literally cook the foods enjoyed by kings, queens, and dictators the way C...more
The real story of the greatest chef of the Napoleonic era isn't much of a story. Though Antonin Careme published many volumes on cuisine, only the high points of his life are known, so this short book is mostly involved with the historical background of Careme's time. You get brief sketches of Careme's first major employer, the statesman Tallyrand, George IV of England, Alexander I of Russia, the Rothchilds, and various Bonapartes. At times the author tries to elevate Careme through his assocati...more
This book was recommended by a wonderful chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu. Although you would think the biography of the first celebrity chef would be gripping, Careme's story lacked details about his private life. Honestly, it does not seem like the author had many private letters from the chef's wife, mother of his child or his estranged daughter. If you are knowledgeable of the 19th c. French history, you might enjoy this one more.
Fantastic little book! I'm a fan of cook books and history of cooking--and I love it when I find a book that combines both. Basically a biography of the great chef Antonin Careme, the book is scattered with recipes he wrote as well as illustrations of some of his pastry masterpieces. If you're looking for an interesting but lighter fare, try this one out.
Jan 08, 2008
Dan
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
HARDCORE culinary geeks
Recommended to Dan by:
NPR
Shelves:
never_finished
I'm not sure what I was thinking. I am by no means a gourmand, and have never even feigned an interest in cooking, but something in the way Kelly spoke about Careme on NPR a few years ago really made the chef sound like such an interesting character, almost like this Forest Gump of 19th Century France. Sadly, it didn't translate very well to print form. In certain cases, such as the many banquets he prepared, there is abundant detail. Yet for all of that, there was a lot of information missing a...more
The pictures in this book were my favorite part.
I enjoyed reading about the food.
Though I don't see myself even attempting the recipes included here.
Interesting. Written in a narrative/cookbook style - although the recipes and menus are the "acquired taste" novelties prevalent in the 1800's for wealthy and royal inner circles. The chef (Coreme) led a rags to riches life, with a less than prominent demise.
Great book,amazing character and learnt a lot about the history and period of that time. The recipes are great fun too and an insight into how people ate in that period
if you love to cook read this book. i read it and want to go do somethign amazing
Aug 10, 2007
Abby
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who like food history
Shelves:
biography
A friend sent this to me because she had a spare copy from using it as a textbook in a world or european history class. For a textbook, this is a great read. Careme had an interesting life and travelled widely for a poor kid from Paris. He was ambitious and gifted, successful both as a chef and an author, and incredibly influential on French cooking. The included recipes are very interesting, if not necessarily appealing to make. The writing, however, is dry and list-like, so I put the book down...more
A good history of one of the great chefs.
Before Mario, Emeril, or Bobby Flay, Antonin Careme was the "must have" chef for European Royalty and High Society. Napolean, Nordic Princes and Tsar's all vied for his services. A very interesting read, providing insight to some of history's movers and shakers. In a time before refrigeration (or, electricity!) it is awe inspiring, to say the least, to read the astronomical amount of work that was involved in creating these meals, both elegant and ordinary.
You'll never take your oven or mixer fo...more
You'll never take your oven or mixer fo...more
This was an interesting biography of an almost-forgotten pioneer of cuisine. A lot of the dishes that were described in the book could have probably used more description for somebody like me who is vaguely familiar with some epicurean terms but can't quite picture them in my head in modern context. Good background history on the royal courts and households where Careme cooked.
Cooking for Kings is an excellent look at the world's first celebrity chef. A must for all gastronomes. It also illustrates a different side of the "regency" period that isn't generally known. Well written, if a little slow, the book is itself a masterpiece of the publishing art. Beautiful typeface, smooth paper and wonderful illustrations. And the recipes!
Read this for my culinary history reading group. Intriguing discussions of how chefs dealt with serving fancy food to large crowds pre-electricity. Not a very engaging book overall.
Great menus, too much detail on relationships, but good investigation of ancient history in the cooking world.
Great read, fascinating history. So much cooking today descended from Careme, including the funny chef's hat.
It was good, not great. I liked the pictures. It was a good summary of Careme.
Each! I've lost this book somewhere in the house in this renovation.
Looking forward to this...
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Ian Kelly is a multi-award-nominated actor, writer and presenter of TV documentaries. He is the Sunday Times Biographer of the Year 2008-9 (Casanova). He is currently filming the last of the Harry Potter films as Hermione's father, he transfers in the National Theatre's production of The Pitmen Painters to Broadway in 2010.
More about Ian Kelly...
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