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Simca's Cuisine

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 15 ratings · 3 reviews

Skillfully adapting her French methods to American needs, Simone "Simca" Beck presents over one hundred recipes in thirty-one alluring menus -- including specific wines and cheeses -- from the informal Menu for All Seasons of pork braised with bourbon, sauteed broccoli, and frozen chocolate mousse with meringue, to the more formal Gala Sunday Lunch of broiled trout with ta...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published July 1st 1998 by Lyons Press (first published 1972)

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Sep 16, 2009 Visha Burkart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those delightful hardcover cookbooks you'd find in a used book shop; yellowed pages, thick and rough to the touch, the hardcover wallpapered with a simple red and black flower print, a substantial weight to the text. What caught my attention was the acknowledgements, noting Julia Child's partnership with the author for 23 years. Simca (a nickname for Simone Beck) co-wrote the two masterful texts of French cooking (Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I & II) with Julia...more This is one of those delightful hardcover cookbooks you'd find in a used book shop; yellowed pages, thick and rough to the touch, the hardcover wallpapered with a simple red and black flower print, a substantial weight to the text. What caught my attention was the acknowledgements, noting Julia Child's partnership with the author for 23 years. Simca (a nickname for Simone Beck) co-wrote the two masterful texts of French cooking (Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I & II) with Julia Child, who is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to Julie and Julia.

This cookbook was a delightful diversion - I love reading old cookbooks (on a full stomach, as a rule), and Simca's Cuisine is full of the kinds of recipes that you just don't encounter anymore: organized within menus for multiple course meals, labeled by their French titles (un menu de panache au champagne - a spectacular dinner with champagne; un menu somptueux pour recevoir Mr. Knopf - a dinner grand and sumptuous), always including a cheese course and massive dessert, portions enough to feed a dinner party, without serving sizes or calorie and fat breakdowns. Includes charming illustrations throughout, as well as sections that tell you how to cook basics (how to boil eggs, make croutons) in a completely non-basic way (yes, there is more than a page devoted to how to perfectly boil an egg).

I love visiting the past, as preserved in cookbooks. There's something so immediate about the distilled "slice of life" that you get from a cookbook that is watered down in novels set in the same time and place. Beck has charming descriptions that accompany her menus, where she talks about scallops having a "distinctive lusty taste of the sea" or reminds the American reader/cook that the differences in fats between American and French ducks are tremendous. This was a charming and, yes, tasty read... next time you're in a used book shop, check out the cooking section - I think you will find something like this to tickle your fancy.(less)

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Jul 05, 2009 Miriam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: culinary

My mother had an older edition of this book, with a red cover.

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Mar 13, 2008 Monica marked it as to-read

julia's partner in crime...

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May 18, 2013 Phil James added it

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Apr 28, 2013 Stephanie Dwl rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Feb 05, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Nov 18, 2011 Melissa added it · review of another edition

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Jul 22, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 26, 2011 Adam Crafter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 21, 2011 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jan 17, 2011 Sue Ann added it · review of another edition

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Apr 23, 2010 Mommyk8 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 03, 2010 Margarita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 26, 2010 Rachel marked it as to-read

Shelves: cookbooks-and-food

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Feb 08, 2010 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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About Simone Beck

Simone "Simca" Beck was a French cookbook author and cooking teacher who, along with colleagues Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, played a significant role in the introduction of French cooking technique and recipes into American kitchens.

More about Simone Beck...

Books by Simone Beck

Food and Friends: Recipes and Memories from Simca's Cuisine

Mastering The Art Of French Cooking: Vol 2 (Cookery Library)

Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Vol. 1)

Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Vol. 2)

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