''Le Répertoire de la Cuisine'' is a professional
reference
Reference is a relationship between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object. The first object in this relation is said to ''refer to'' the second object. It is called a ''name'' ...
cookbook
A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes.
Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food.
Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cour ...
written by Théodore Gringoire and Louis Saulnier and published originally in 1914, and translated into multiple languages. It is intended to serve as a quick reference to ''
Le guide culinaire
''Le Guide Culinaire'' () is Georges Auguste Escoffier, Escoffier's 1903 French cuisine, French restaurant cuisine cookbook, his first. It is a classic and still in print. Escoffier developed the recipes while working at the Savoy, Ritz and Carlto ...
'' by Saulnier's mentor,
Auguste Escoffier
Georges Auguste Escoffier (; 28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Marie-Antoi ...
, and adds a significant amount of Saulnier's own material.
History
Louis Saulnier, a student of
Auguste Escoffier
Georges Auguste Escoffier (; 28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Marie-Antoi ...
, wrote the ''Répertoire'' as a guide to his mentor's cooking as documented in ''
Le Guide Culinaire
''Le Guide Culinaire'' () is Georges Auguste Escoffier, Escoffier's 1903 French cuisine, French restaurant cuisine cookbook, his first. It is a classic and still in print. Escoffier developed the recipes while working at the Savoy, Ritz and Carlto ...
''. It is a standard reference for classical French
haute cuisine
''Haute cuisine'' (; ) or ''grande cuisine'' is the cuisine of "high-level" establishments, gourmet restaurants, and luxury hotels. ''Haute cuisine'' is characterized by the meticulous preparation and careful presentation of food at a high pri ...
and has been translated into English by Édouard Brunet (1924) and Spanish (2012). The 1976 American edition has an introduction by
Jacques Pépin
Jacques Pépin (; born December 18, 1935) is a French chef, author, culinary educator, television personality, and artist. After having been the personal chef of French President Charles de Gaulle, he moved to the US in 1959 and after working ...
. The 15th English edition of ''The Cookery Repertory'' was published by Leon Jaeggi & Sons Ltd, London, in 1979.
In
Michael Ruhlman
Michael Carl Ruhlman (born July 28, 1963) is an American author, home cook and entrepreneur.
He has written or co-authored more than two dozen books, including non-fiction, fiction, memoir, and books on cooking. He has co-authored many books w ...
's 2009 book ''Ratio'',
Culinary Institute of America
Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...
instructor Uwe Hestnar cited ''La répertoire'' alongside
Larousse Gastronomique
' () is an encyclopedia of gastronomy. The majority of the book is about French cuisine, and contains recipes for French dishes and cooking techniques. The first edition included few non-French dishes and ingredients; later editions include many ...
and the works of Escoffier and
Carême as required reading for anyone interested in classical French cooking.
[Ruhlman, Michael. ''Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking''. New York: Scribner, 2009, . p. xxii.]
Format
The style of ''Le Répertoire'' is highly condensed, even in comparison with the brevity of its inspiration; the recipes provided are little more than simple descriptions of dishes, and assume a great deal of background knowledge. The structure of the book itself is based on Escoffier's original to simplify cross-referencing.
References
External links
Full text online (3rd edition)at
Gallica digital library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Repertoire
Cookbooks
1914 non-fiction books