From a Breton Garden Cookbook

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Description: Long before Julia Child and James Beard became household names, Josephine Araldo focused attention on the glories of French cooking. Craig Claiborne has called her "a legend in her own time," and she influenced a generation of American chefs that includes Alice Waters, Marion Cunningham, and Robert Reynolds, her co-author, friend, and student. 

From a Breton Garden is a tribute to Josephine Araldo, who died in 1989: an exuberant cookbook offering a dazzling collection of her vegetable recipes that clearly traces the influences of her years in Brittany, Paris, and San Francisco. Born in a small town in Brittany more than ninety years ago, Josephine was trained in the art of "cooking from the garden" by her grandmother, La Mere Jacquette. As a young woman Josephine traveled to Paris, where she became a prize pupil of the legendary chef Henri-Paul Pellaprat at the Cordon Bleu cooking school. In 1924 she left Paris for San Francisco, where she first worked as a cook in wealthy homes and later established a long and illustrious teaching career. 

Arranged in three sections. From a Breton Garden is full of stories about Josephine's life and recipes that show the distinct colors and textures that influenced her palate. In the Brittany section, Josephine's recipes reveal the impact of ancestral traditions and country-style combinations of vegetables, fruits, and other foraged foods (Green Beans with Cherries, Red Cabbage with Apples and Raisins). Those in the Paris section (Artichoke Hearts with Foie Gras and Alsatian Onion Tart, for example) illuminate the techniques and ingredients of classic cuisine while still exuding her unique personality. In the final section, Robert Reynolds, chef and owner of Le Trou Restaurant Francais in San Francisco, shows the influence of Josephine on his own interpretations of French cooking. With combinations such as Onion Tart with Raspberries and Bacon, and Artichoke Hearts with Duck Custard, it is easy to see how Josephine's brilliance has found expression through her talented students and helped provide the foundation for the development of a new American cuisine. 

From a Breton Garden offers the spirit and charm of ancient Brittany and of Josephine Araldo, a culinary legend. Serious cooks and readers everywhere will cherish this contribution to our culinary history. 

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Condition: Good condition.