Query came up on a wine forum recently and I got interested too. Questioner
sought something of truly classic status for a cookbook of traditional
specialties from Burgundy. Probably published in France. (Beyond the level
of just a current best seller, for instance, and not necessarily recent.
More like what Molokhovets was for Russian cooking, Karl Duch for Austrian,
or the massive _Famous Dishes of China_ for that country.)

We discussed some classic US food books that talk about traditional
Burgundian specialties. Joseph Wechsberg (1954, still in print), Waverly
Root (1958); the various French reference cookbooks. All of these are very
useful but not what was needed, nor Point's _Ma Gastronomie._ I said that if
it were not too recent it would certainly be in Vicaire (as far as I know,
the main bibliographic reference on cooking in the Western world) but not if
it came out in the last 110 years (which it may very well not have). I
looked in British and US bibliographies that cover France (Simon, Bitting)
but these catalogs are not organized for this (sadly, no handy index entry
under "Cookbooks, Burgundian, definitive" and they also tend to describe,
rather than appraise). Some other reference sources are remarkably silent on
this. I mentioned obvious French sources where one might ask today, but have
not asked anyone in France yet myself, and I wondered if someone here might
happen to have a good knowledge of classic books on Burgundian cooking. (If
any.) I've already searched the archives for this group and not found it
(though there was another such query, in 1993).

-- Max

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 22:53:29 -0800, "Max Hauser"
> wrote:

>Query came up on a wine forum recently and I got interested too. Questioner
>sought something of truly classic status for a cookbook of traditional
>specialties from Burgundy. Probably published in France. (Beyond the level
>of just a current best seller, for instance, and not necessarily recent.
>More like what Molokhovets was for Russian cooking, Karl Duch for Austrian,
>or the massive _Famous Dishes of China_ for that country.)
>
>We discussed some classic US food books that talk about traditional
>Burgundian specialties. Joseph Wechsberg (1954, still in print), Waverly
>Root (1958); the various French reference cookbooks. All of these are very
>useful but not what was needed, nor Point's _Ma Gastronomie._ I said that if
>it were not too recent it would certainly be in Vicaire (as far as I know,
>the main bibliographic reference on cooking in the Western world) but not if
>it came out in the last 110 years (which it may very well not have). I
>looked in British and US bibliographies that cover France (Simon, Bitting)
>but these catalogs are not organized for this (sadly, no handy index entry
>under "Cookbooks, Burgundian, definitive" and they also tend to describe,
>rather than appraise). Some other reference sources are remarkably silent on
>this. I mentioned obvious French sources where one might ask today, but have
>not asked anyone in France yet myself, and I wondered if someone here might
>happen to have a good knowledge of classic books on Burgundian cooking. (If
>any.) I've already searched the archives for this group and not found it
>(though there was another such query, in 1993).

If you go to http:www.amazon.fr and type both words Bourgogne and
cuisine in the search box, you find quite a few - but I must say I
know none of them.

Nathalie in switzerland

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 22:53:29 -0800, "Max Hauser"
> wrote:

>Query came up on a wine forum recently and I got interested too. Questioner
>sought something of truly classic status for a cookbook of traditional
>specialties from Burgundy. Probably published in France. (Beyond the level
>of just a current best seller, for instance, and not necessarily recent.
>More like what Molokhovets was for Russian cooking, Karl Duch for Austrian,
>or the massive _Famous Dishes of China_ for that country.)
>
>We discussed some classic US food books that talk about traditional
>Burgundian specialties. Joseph Wechsberg (1954, still in print), Waverly
>Root (1958); the various French reference cookbooks. All of these are very
>useful but not what was needed, nor Point's _Ma Gastronomie._ I said that if
>it were not too recent it would certainly be in Vicaire (as far as I know,
>the main bibliographic reference on cooking in the Western world) but not if
>it came out in the last 110 years (which it may very well not have). I
>looked in British and US bibliographies that cover France (Simon, Bitting)
>but these catalogs are not organized for this (sadly, no handy index entry
>under "Cookbooks, Burgundian, definitive" and they also tend to describe,
>rather than appraise). Some other reference sources are remarkably silent on
>this. I mentioned obvious French sources where one might ask today, but have
>not asked anyone in France yet myself, and I wondered if someone here might
>happen to have a good knowledge of classic books on Burgundian cooking. (If
>any.) I've already searched the archives for this group and not found it
>(though there was another such query, in 1993).

If you go to http:www.amazon.fr and type both words Bourgogne and
cuisine in the search box, you find quite a few - but I must say I
know none of them.

Nathalie in switzerland

Max Hauser > wrote:

> Query came up on a wine forum recently and I got interested too. Questioner
> sought something of truly classic status for a cookbook of traditional
> specialties from Burgundy. Probably published in France. (Beyond the level
> of just a current best seller, for instance, and not necessarily recent.
> More like what Molokhovets was for Russian cooking, Karl Duch for Austrian,
> or the massive _Famous Dishes of China_ for that country.)

Probably not of that calibre, but seemingly well-regarded, is
_Bourgogne: produits du terroir et recettes traditionnelles_ by CNAC
(conseil national des arts culinaires). It describes 70 typical
products of the region, traces their origins, etc. and, in the second
part, contains recipes utilising these products. It is one of a series
of presentations of 22 French regions. I haven't read the book, so it's
not my personal recommendation. There is a brief description at
Amazon.fr:
<http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/2226065229/402-0915753-5955369>.

Victor

Max Hauser > wrote:

> Query came up on a wine forum recently and I got interested too. Questioner
> sought something of truly classic status for a cookbook of traditional
> specialties from Burgundy. Probably published in France. (Beyond the level
> of just a current best seller, for instance, and not necessarily recent.
> More like what Molokhovets was for Russian cooking, Karl Duch for Austrian,
> or the massive _Famous Dishes of China_ for that country.)

Probably not of that calibre, but seemingly well-regarded, is
_Bourgogne: produits du terroir et recettes traditionnelles_ by CNAC
(conseil national des arts culinaires). It describes 70 typical
products of the region, traces their origins, etc. and, in the second
part, contains recipes utilising these products. It is one of a series
of presentations of 22 French regions. I haven't read the book, so it's
not my personal recommendation. There is a brief description at
Amazon.fr:
<http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/2226065229/402-0915753-5955369>.

Victor

Thank you Nathalie and Victor for your helpful and thoughtful suggestions.
I shall investigate!

-- Max