Lancelot de Casteau or de Chasteau or de Chestea, also known as Anseau de Chestea (died 1613) was the master chef for three prince-bishops of Liège in the 16th century: Robert de Berghes,

Gérard de Groesbeek Gerard van Groesbeeck (1517–1580) was a prelate who became the 88th Bishop of Liège, as well as Prince-Abbot of Stavelot and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. Early life Gerard van Groesbeeck was born at Kuringen Castle outside Hasselt in 15 ...

, and Ernest of Bavaria and the author of a

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 ...

, the ''Ouverture de cuisine'', often considered the first cookbook to go beyond medieval recipes and to codify haute cuisine. Casteau-ouverture

Biography

de Casteau was born in

Mons Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...

. As an adult, he lived in

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

. In 1557, he organized a banquet for the Joyous Entry of

Robert of Berghes Robert of Berghes or de Glymes-Berghes (died 1564) was 87th Prince-bishop of Liège (1557–1563). He was forced to resign the see on 30 March 1563, due to insanity, and died in the course of the following year.Alphonse Le Roy, "Berghes (Robe ...

. He was admitted to the

baker A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Since grains ha ...

s' guild in 1562, to the

mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...

s' (merchants') guild in 1567, and became a burgher in 1571. He married Marie Josselet ''alias'' de Herck , and they had a daughter, Jeanne. He was a rich burgher who owned considerable property but from 1601, the prince-bishop no longer paid for his services, and his financial situation deteriorated, forcing him to live with his daughter and his son-in-law, a goldsmith named Georges Libert, who supported him. He died in 1613.

''Ouverture de cuisine''

de Casteau's book ''Ouverture de cuisine'' was published in 1604 and dedicated to

Jean Curtius __NOTOC__ Jean Curtius, also known as Jean De Corte and Juan Curcio, called Curtius (Liège, Holy Roman Empire 1551 –Liérganes, Spain, July 12, 1628) was a Liégeois manufacturer who obtained the monopoly on providing gunpowder to the Spani ...

. The book is mentioned by multiple writers starting in the 18th century, but the last copy was thought to have been destroyed during the

Napoleanic wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Frenc ...

.G. Colin, "'L'ouverture de Cuisine' par Lancelot de Casteau", ''Chronique de la Bibliothèque Royale (Belgique)'', p. 26
full text
/ref> In 1958, a private party offered a copy to the

Royal Library of Belgium The Royal Library of Belgium (french: Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, abbreviated ''KBR'' and sometimes nicknamed in French or in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The library has a history t ...

, which bought it. This is the only known copy. It is the first cookbook published in French in the Low Countries, and is intermediate between medieval cuisine and the haute cuisine of the 17th century. It contains early recipes for whipped cream and choux pastry.

Notes

External links

*
''Ouverture de cuisine'', page images
*

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Casteau, Lancelot 16th-century births 1613 deaths Belgian chefs Belgian food writers People of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège Renaissance people