Gastronomique ( Art of Good Eating )

FIFTY YEARS ago, in his preface to the first edition of Larousse Gastronomique Auguste

Escoffier wrote: "To undertake the task of writing the history of a country's food, to set out the changes which, through the centuries, have been made in the way in which it has been presented and served, to describe and comment upon the improve- ments in its cooking, is equivalent to painting a portrait evoking a country's whole civilization". This was an elegantly phrased acknowledgement of the monumental work by Prosper Montagné, assisted by Dr Gottschalk in the compilation of the historical, scientific and medical.

sections. Prosper Montagné related this history of cookery in the context of all the improvements made to the culinary art and to the refinements of the table from prehistoric times to our own days. He presented an authology of haute cuisine and recipes for home cooking, but alsomade his readers aware of the great classic dishes of other countries. This is still the aim of the present edition of Larousse Gastronomique.

But time passes and monuments sometimes need restoration. Although the history of food, indissolubly linked to that of the countries that produced it, remains the same as do traditional recipes and basic methods, cookery itself has moved on. The pace of modern life has profoundly altered the eating habits of our contempo- raries. Good food undoubtedly remains a major pleasure, but the time and he means devoted to its preparation no longer enjoy former Scope and abundance, and nutri-tional concerns have had their influence upon taste.

On the other hand, tourism, which has crossed provincial boundaries and now operates on a world-wide scale has enabled French people to experience a culinary change of scenery. They have been delighted to discover, first at the restaurant and then on their own table exotic dishes or dishes which are simply different from their usual fare. In its turn the taste for novelty has encouraged a renewal of curiosity about somewhat neglected regional dishes. The appearance of new utensils and new materials has also brought in of Finally, the lessons we have learnt from stabling from established wisdom combined with modern research have led to a growing interest in dietetics, a new science which has rediscovered the basic principles underlying the com- monsense approach of our ancestors, much disregarded at the beginning of this century.

All this is sufficient justification for a new edition. Cooking is very much a child of its time. It constantly adapts itself to new requirements, to the tastes and desires of society, since its ties with civilization have always been very close. A notable new feature is recipes by leading contemporary chefs which add lustre to the book. They are in fact outstanding especially when compared to the classical preparations of Montagné or Philéas Gilbert, not to mention those of Carême, whose presence in this work, while occasionally anachronistic, is indispensable from the historical and documentary viewpoint.

Economic and social changes, improvements in household equipment, the growth of the touristindustry and dietary concerns have transformed not only behav- iour but also tastes. We can well imagine the surprise of Madame de Sévigné who noted, at Versailles, "the passion for new garden peas", continued with a salad ofsoya bean sprours or a couscous garmi, or the astonish - ment of Grimod de la Reynière (who witnessed the opening of the first restaurants), at a fastfood counter, or the amazement of a roast meat vendor. faced with a microwave oven!

Since the end of the last century this cultural and technical revolution has assumed such vast dimensions insufficient to ensure that Larousse Gastronomique con- that a simple updating of Prosper Montagne's work was tinued to play its part as an informative and practical encyclopedia. While preserving the magnificent heritage bequeathed to us by this master of his craft- with his recipes, technical skills, knowledge and anecdotes - we Gastronomique, which would incorporate the contribu- believed it necessary to offer the reader a new Larousse tions of modern research and answer contemporary needs.

The book has been completely revised, with a wealth of colour photography, in a format which is easy to handle and to consult. It nevertheless preserves the basic elements and the conception of Montagne's work, remains true to his principles and arrangement, but has found room 

in its pages for all the latest achievements of cookery and the art of the table.

Larousse Gastronomique is intended to be a synthesis of the science of nutrition and the art of cooking, but an attractive synthesis, as pleasing to the gourmet, cook and the aesthete as it is to the historian and 

the sociologist,contradicting Diderot, whose article Cookery claims: "Cookery, a simple matter in the early stages of the world is now a most difficult study or

science."

Men and women today do not spend whole days at the dining table and ten-course menus have disappeared. But, more than ever before, food, through the choice of dishes and their preparation, forms an integral part of life and remains the natural expression of conviviality.