Clementine in the Kitchen

When Clémentine in the Kitchen first appeared in 1943, it immediately captivated American readers, and a new edition, revised by Narcisse Chamberlain, taught a generation of cooks that French family cooking could easily flourish in their own kitchens. Written by the artist Samuel Chamberlain under the pen name Phineas Beck, it recounts the gastronomic adventures of the Beck/Chamberlain family during the decade that their beguiling Burgundian cook Clémentine produced wonderful French meals for them, both in France and in their New England home in Marblehead. This edition includes a delicious collection of more than 170 traditional recipes--classic dishes, regional specialties, and much that is useful for special occasions. But the most compelling are plain and old-fashioned. These are the dishes that identify the Clémentine family style, a style so French, so civilized, so knowing in its use of ingredients that it cannot become impractical or ever go out of date: filets de sole au vin blanc, boeuf à la mode, endives braisées -- trophies of la cuisine bourgeoise that never fail to please. Best of all, the book is fully illustrated with the charming line drawings and etchings that endeared Chamberlain to an entire generation.