Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux: Recipes From the Artist's Last Home and Paintings of Cafe Life

by Alexandra Leaf, Fred Leeman

At the Auberge Ravoux, in a tiny artists' village twenty miles from Paris, Postimpressionist painter Vincent van Gogh found a measure of peace in an otherwise ill-starred life. In what would be his last home, he enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow artists and an unparalleled burst of creativity. The auberge still operates today as the Maison de Van Gogh. Little has changed since Van Gogh set down his bags more than a century ago, and visitors to its cafT are treated to the same regional cuisine that he dined upon. Here is an intimate view into Van Gogh's world, as stirring as sharing poulet and pommes sautTes with the artist himself. Written by one of America's foremost culinary historians, with Dr. Fred Leeman, the former chief curator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and including an introduction by the auberge's proprietor, this unique cookbook/art book explores life in the artists' cafT, with traditional recipes ranging from the hearty to the refined. Letters, engravings, postcards, and a selection of Van Gogh's paintings transport the reader to the turn of the century.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Reference, Art

217 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Marcus Hobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just the sort of book combination that I love. It is a wonderful mix of history, art and some delicious cooking.

If you have watched the wonderful animated film “Loving Vincent” then this is a book for you. Like the film it focuses on the last year of Van Gogh’s life when he rented a room in the Auberge Ravoux, in Auvers-sur-Oise some twenty miles from Paris. The room that he rented there has been turned into a tiny museum and thousand of visitors flock to see the place and the unspoilt village. I love the fact that there is a photo from the 1890s showing the proprietors of the small café, and the current owners have staged a similar shot of the modern-day staff and chefs in exactly the same place. It looks unchanged.

The photography in the book is excellent, and the recipes also sound delicious. There are a range of dishes, many simple and rustic, to portray the nature of the place. Pea soup with a slab of bacon doesn’t sound too difficult, and nor does scrambled eggs with asparagus except that it has cream and chives added. The first section of the book is all about Van Gogh and his time at the auberge. There are reproductions of about thirty-five of his paintings and drawings of people, food and various cafés. The second section is all about the food and the recipes. A lovely mixture. Educational and mouthwatering.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. It was particularly enjoyable because it was written by someone who loved Vincent Van gogh to people who love him. So it talked about incedents as if one was already familiar with them. The recipe section (about a third of the book) is great and would be enjoyable to anyone who liked cookbooks. There are copious amounts of wine in almost every recipie. Who wouldn't want 7 hour lamb stew with "2-3 bottles of wine" in it?

[Bill Whalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope to visit here in December 09.