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Бели трюфели през зимата
Животът на Огюст Ескофие е вълнуваща поредица от прекрасни блюда, срещи с короновани особи и с известни личности от политиката и света на изкуството. Сърцето му е подвластно на две страсти – кулинарията и любовта... към две напълно различни жени: красавицата Сара Бернар – една от най-обожаваните жени и актриси на своето време, и съпругата – независимата и аристократична поетеса Делфин Дафи, чиято ръка Ескофие печели на хазарт... Въпреки че се обичат, Ескофие и Делфин дълги години живеят разделени.
В последната година от живота си, докато пише своите мемоари, Екофие се завръща при Делфин. Тя изисква от него само едно нещо – да създаде блюдо и на нейно име, както е създал за толкова много жени, в това число за Сара Бернар и кралица Виктория. Ала как човек може да пресъздаде сложните пътища на любовта в една-единствена рецепта?! Великият готвач няма никаква представа. С помощта на своенравна млада готвачка, която болезнено много прилича на Сара, Ескофие трябва да преоткрие чувствената сила на храната и да вложи в съставките й своето разкаяние, страдание, прошка и любов... Заедно с него отпиваме от чашата с шампанско в края на живота му, несигурни дали сме готови да приключим с това последно ястие.
Единственият начин да се противопоставиш на забравата е, като готвиш. Едно добре приготвено блюдо внася красота, дълбочина и многообразие в живота. Храната е едно прекрасно вълшебство, а да повярваш във вълшебствата и да ги създаваш, е изключителен и необходим акт.
И така. Мълчаливо. Гответе.
Огюст Ескофие (1846–1935) е легендарен френски готвач, чийто отпечатък върху ресторантьорското дело и висшата кулинария продължава да се усеща и до днес. Променя начина ни на хранене чрез своите ресторанти в прочутите хотели „Савой” и „Риц”. С романа си Никол М. Келби ни пренася в света на Ескофие: страница след страница ни поглъща една чувствена история за храна и еротика, за копнеж и любов...
В последната година от живота си, докато пише своите мемоари, Екофие се завръща при Делфин. Тя изисква от него само едно нещо – да създаде блюдо и на нейно име, както е създал за толкова много жени, в това число за Сара Бернар и кралица Виктория. Ала как човек може да пресъздаде сложните пътища на любовта в една-единствена рецепта?! Великият готвач няма никаква представа. С помощта на своенравна млада готвачка, която болезнено много прилича на Сара, Ескофие трябва да преоткрие чувствената сила на храната и да вложи в съставките й своето разкаяние, страдание, прошка и любов... Заедно с него отпиваме от чашата с шампанско в края на живота му, несигурни дали сме готови да приключим с това последно ястие.
Единственият начин да се противопоставиш на забравата е, като готвиш. Едно добре приготвено блюдо внася красота, дълбочина и многообразие в живота. Храната е едно прекрасно вълшебство, а да повярваш във вълшебствата и да ги създаваш, е изключителен и необходим акт.
И така. Мълчаливо. Гответе.
Огюст Ескофие (1846–1935) е легендарен френски готвач, чийто отпечатък върху ресторантьорското дело и висшата кулинария продължава да се усеща и до днес. Променя начина ни на хранене чрез своите ресторанти в прочутите хотели „Савой” и „Риц”. С романа си Никол М. Келби ни пренася в света на Ескофие: страница след страница ни поглъща една чувствена история за храна и еротика, за копнеж и любов...
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
N.M. Kelby
11 books86 followersDr. Nicole Mary Kelby is the critically acclaimed international author of seven novels including THE PINK SUIT, WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER and the New York Times bestseller IN THE COMPANY OF ANGELS. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Bush Artist Fellowship in Literature, Florida Book Award, and both the Florida and Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship. She is toured and translated worldwide. Her forthcoming novel, A SMALL HISTORY OF THE KNOWN WORLD, is based on the lives of Mark Twain and his epileptic daughter Jean. Set the day before Christmas Eve, throughout the course of a meal, these two broken mercurial creatures inch towards love, disaster, and the tragic secret of the angels of Venice. Kelby lives with Irish sculptor Alan Milligan. With their wee dog in tow, they divide their time between their two countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
April 5, 2012
Such an imaginative book based on facts. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and all the rich, vivid details of place and food. Escoffier is an important historical figure. The main points are facts: where he lived and worked, his wife, his mistress, and more. The author deftly filled in what his life could have been based on known facts she researched. It's a fascinating story about an unusual man.
For those with culinary interests, there are intriguing food tidbits, but the story can be enjoyed by anyone. Culinary students learn about Escoffier's important contributions to the way we eat today but may know little about his personal life and what kind of person he was.
Escoffier's housekeeper in late life and many famous people of the time are prominent in the book. Culinary folk will recognize the name of Brillat-Savarin, another brilliant chef. Both of them used truffles, caviar, and fois gras liberally in their creations, as well as wines -- the wines sometimes used to drug crayfish and lobsters before cooking. Many such charming details pepper the story.
Escoffier and his wife, Delphine Daffis, a poet, lived in Monte Carlo. Escoffier worked in Paris and England and was often away from home for months or years at a time; Delphine refused to move away from Monte Carlo.
A couple of lovely romantic seduction scenes involve food and are all the more sensuous and unusual for that. There are bits of other history and war history and the Titanic plays into the story as well.
I loved this book and those who like historical fiction should enjoy it. Culinary enthusiasts will relish the richness of details. Although we will never know who Escoffier really was, this book is a beautiful and realistic tapestry of who he might have been. The writing is a joy to read. It helps to know a little French but isn't necessary.
Best of all, I learned a great deal reading it.
I think some of those who have reviewed this book poorly didn't really read and understand the book. That's apparent by comments made that are erroneous compared to the text of the book. Every author gets some of those, but authors who write intelligently seem to get more of those, unfortunately.
For those with culinary interests, there are intriguing food tidbits, but the story can be enjoyed by anyone. Culinary students learn about Escoffier's important contributions to the way we eat today but may know little about his personal life and what kind of person he was.
Escoffier's housekeeper in late life and many famous people of the time are prominent in the book. Culinary folk will recognize the name of Brillat-Savarin, another brilliant chef. Both of them used truffles, caviar, and fois gras liberally in their creations, as well as wines -- the wines sometimes used to drug crayfish and lobsters before cooking. Many such charming details pepper the story.
Escoffier and his wife, Delphine Daffis, a poet, lived in Monte Carlo. Escoffier worked in Paris and England and was often away from home for months or years at a time; Delphine refused to move away from Monte Carlo.
A couple of lovely romantic seduction scenes involve food and are all the more sensuous and unusual for that. There are bits of other history and war history and the Titanic plays into the story as well.
I loved this book and those who like historical fiction should enjoy it. Culinary enthusiasts will relish the richness of details. Although we will never know who Escoffier really was, this book is a beautiful and realistic tapestry of who he might have been. The writing is a joy to read. It helps to know a little French but isn't necessary.
Best of all, I learned a great deal reading it.
I think some of those who have reviewed this book poorly didn't really read and understand the book. That's apparent by comments made that are erroneous compared to the text of the book. Every author gets some of those, but authors who write intelligently seem to get more of those, unfortunately.
November 14, 2011
This was a prettily written book with no discernable plot. I couldn't really get a picture in my head of Escoffier, his wife Delphine, or Sarah Berhardt- their images kept sliding away, possibly because the writing of the characters seemed to be more about creating dramatic impact than developing character or consistancy.
There were all sorts of imagery that were beautiful (description of an Impressionist exhibit), but I just couldn't believe anything happening in the book would really happen. There was talk about Escoffier trying to feed starving Parisians horsemeat, but he would garnish the horse with truffle and foie gras. What??!!
In fact, truffles and foie gras were everywhere, in almost every meal. Now, I like both these things, but even I, a devout foodie, got tired of reading about them with every meal. If I had believed in the accuracy of the book, I would have been more interested in reading about the meals, but I couldn't believe that I was reading anything other than the fancy of the author. I do like some reliable historical accuracy in my historical fiction, and I couldn't trust that I was getting it here.
So, imagery was indulged, I fear, at the expense of any realism. Maybe I'm wrong about this. But I couldn't fall into the story because I couldn't trust the author to give me something realistic in this work of fiction. Does that make sense?
I also did not get the sense of any relationships in the book. Escoffier stood alone, as did Delphine. They did things that made no sense to me (filling a house with tomatoes, cutting hands with a wine bottle in the kitchen) and again I had no greater context to see what was happening. What exactly was going on between the French and the Germans that made the wine bottle meal so fraught? What was the importance of tomatoes? I don't want to wait a hundred pages to figure out the answer.
So, ultimately, the book's meaning eluded me. Maybe I didn't get the symbology. Or maybe this was a matter of style over substance. Truffles garnishing horsemeat. (See, I can do a metaphor too!)
There were all sorts of imagery that were beautiful (description of an Impressionist exhibit), but I just couldn't believe anything happening in the book would really happen. There was talk about Escoffier trying to feed starving Parisians horsemeat, but he would garnish the horse with truffle and foie gras. What??!!
In fact, truffles and foie gras were everywhere, in almost every meal. Now, I like both these things, but even I, a devout foodie, got tired of reading about them with every meal. If I had believed in the accuracy of the book, I would have been more interested in reading about the meals, but I couldn't believe that I was reading anything other than the fancy of the author. I do like some reliable historical accuracy in my historical fiction, and I couldn't trust that I was getting it here.
So, imagery was indulged, I fear, at the expense of any realism. Maybe I'm wrong about this. But I couldn't fall into the story because I couldn't trust the author to give me something realistic in this work of fiction. Does that make sense?
I also did not get the sense of any relationships in the book. Escoffier stood alone, as did Delphine. They did things that made no sense to me (filling a house with tomatoes, cutting hands with a wine bottle in the kitchen) and again I had no greater context to see what was happening. What exactly was going on between the French and the Germans that made the wine bottle meal so fraught? What was the importance of tomatoes? I don't want to wait a hundred pages to figure out the answer.
So, ultimately, the book's meaning eluded me. Maybe I didn't get the symbology. Or maybe this was a matter of style over substance. Truffles garnishing horsemeat. (See, I can do a metaphor too!)
July 4, 2019
The descriptions of food in this book were lyrical and vivid. Eventually, it took away from the story and just became unnecessary fluff. The timeline was poorly described and confusing at times, which just made me lose interest in the characters.
May 30, 2014
“When we cook we know perfection: we can touch it; we can create it. We are like gods.” I enjoyed Kelby’s sumptuous fictional biography of French chef Auguste Escoffier, the founder of the dining rooms at the Savoy and the Ritz Carlton and developer of menus for, among other famous ventures, the Titanic.
As the novel opens he and his wife, poet Delphine Daffis, are in their eighties, living out their penurious senescence in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with a rotating cast of children and grandchildren and a cook of dubious skill, the feisty red-headed Sabine, who bears a curious similarity to Sarah Bernhardt, Escoffier’s long-time lover. Escoffier has created so many named dishes over the years – acts of homage to Sarah and to other celebrated individuals – and now it is Delphine’s last wish to have Escoffier create a last dish in her honor, before it is too late. “‘Words are clumsy and limited by nature,’ [Escoffier] said. ‘Only food can speak what the heart feels.’”
The narrative flashes back to highlights from Escoffier’s cooking career in London and Paris, through third-person sections as well as through first-person chapters of ‘memoirs with recipes’ in Escoffier’s own words. “Cooking is the marriage of science and poetry...Luck has no place in the kitchen. Science. It is always science,” he insists. “If a menu is not poetry, what is it, then?”
Kelby might not be the best at moving a plot along in an interesting manner, but she does write mouth-watering descriptions of feasts with preposterously rich dishes: Escoffier’s favourite ingredients included truffles, foie gras, caviar and lobsters. Despite their shared culinary subject matter, I can hardly imagine a novel more different to Nora Ephron’s Heartburn – but both are delightful in their own way.
As the novel opens he and his wife, poet Delphine Daffis, are in their eighties, living out their penurious senescence in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with a rotating cast of children and grandchildren and a cook of dubious skill, the feisty red-headed Sabine, who bears a curious similarity to Sarah Bernhardt, Escoffier’s long-time lover. Escoffier has created so many named dishes over the years – acts of homage to Sarah and to other celebrated individuals – and now it is Delphine’s last wish to have Escoffier create a last dish in her honor, before it is too late. “‘Words are clumsy and limited by nature,’ [Escoffier] said. ‘Only food can speak what the heart feels.’”
The narrative flashes back to highlights from Escoffier’s cooking career in London and Paris, through third-person sections as well as through first-person chapters of ‘memoirs with recipes’ in Escoffier’s own words. “Cooking is the marriage of science and poetry...Luck has no place in the kitchen. Science. It is always science,” he insists. “If a menu is not poetry, what is it, then?”
Kelby might not be the best at moving a plot along in an interesting manner, but she does write mouth-watering descriptions of feasts with preposterously rich dishes: Escoffier’s favourite ingredients included truffles, foie gras, caviar and lobsters. Despite their shared culinary subject matter, I can hardly imagine a novel more different to Nora Ephron’s Heartburn – but both are delightful in their own way.
December 19, 2011
First of all, isn't this a lovely cover, sensuously hinting at all of the good food writing contained therein? I do believe that it is the cover the first drew me to this book back when my Norton sales rep, David, was in town. He left me a copy of the ARC months ago but I'm just now getting around to reading it. Like that sweatshirt that my mom got me says, it's always a case of So many books, so little time.
This is the story of the great French chef, Escoffier, and his life and loves, told in a variety of ways: from the present, in which his wife Delphine, is dying but longing for him to create a dish in her honor; from chapters of the memoir which the present Escoffier is currently writing; and from the past, in which we get third person accounts of Escoffier's feats, ranging from wartime survival to loving Sarah Bernhardt, to running the kitchen at the famed Savoy in London. This hodgepodge of narratives robs the book of any real coherence. Early on, at least, the chapters alternate on a regular basis but in the latter half of the novel it switches a little willy-nilly and the novel suffers from this lack of continuity.
There are some gorgeous passages describing food in this novel--probably the best food writing I've read since Muriel Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody. And I found my heart aching a little bit for Delphine, who on her death bed wants her husband to pay her the same compliment that he's paid his lovers through the years: to immortalize her through food. But there is very little character development here, and what little there is of Escoffier's development leaves me vastly disinterested in him. He seems to be a man of neither action nor honor.
The writing serves the story well enough, and there are a few moments of simple eloquence of art, food, & truth--and that narrative integrity simply be a matter of perception:
"Impossible stories--they are the key to all good restaurants. It [the "fresh" sole] could be frozen; it makes no difference. The diner will think it fresh, glorious. He pays for the story. If the story is told well, with imagination and conviction and the right amount of ego and embroidery, then it is true enough. And something that is true enough is all anyone can ever ask for."
If I had gone into this novel with any sort of expectations, I might say that I was disappointed. But instead I'll say that this was a pleasant interlude between far more serious and literary novels--an amuse bouche, if you will. In the end I found myself not caring much whether Escoffier created a dish for Delphine or not, or whether he had betrayed his country or not, or whether Sandra Bernhardt was pitiable or not. Reading about the intense passions the French reserve for their food, however? Now that was worth the prix fixe dinner!
This is the story of the great French chef, Escoffier, and his life and loves, told in a variety of ways: from the present, in which his wife Delphine, is dying but longing for him to create a dish in her honor; from chapters of the memoir which the present Escoffier is currently writing; and from the past, in which we get third person accounts of Escoffier's feats, ranging from wartime survival to loving Sarah Bernhardt, to running the kitchen at the famed Savoy in London. This hodgepodge of narratives robs the book of any real coherence. Early on, at least, the chapters alternate on a regular basis but in the latter half of the novel it switches a little willy-nilly and the novel suffers from this lack of continuity.
There are some gorgeous passages describing food in this novel--probably the best food writing I've read since Muriel Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody. And I found my heart aching a little bit for Delphine, who on her death bed wants her husband to pay her the same compliment that he's paid his lovers through the years: to immortalize her through food. But there is very little character development here, and what little there is of Escoffier's development leaves me vastly disinterested in him. He seems to be a man of neither action nor honor.
The writing serves the story well enough, and there are a few moments of simple eloquence of art, food, & truth--and that narrative integrity simply be a matter of perception:
"Impossible stories--they are the key to all good restaurants. It [the "fresh" sole] could be frozen; it makes no difference. The diner will think it fresh, glorious. He pays for the story. If the story is told well, with imagination and conviction and the right amount of ego and embroidery, then it is true enough. And something that is true enough is all anyone can ever ask for."
If I had gone into this novel with any sort of expectations, I might say that I was disappointed. But instead I'll say that this was a pleasant interlude between far more serious and literary novels--an amuse bouche, if you will. In the end I found myself not caring much whether Escoffier created a dish for Delphine or not, or whether he had betrayed his country or not, or whether Sandra Bernhardt was pitiable or not. Reading about the intense passions the French reserve for their food, however? Now that was worth the prix fixe dinner!
March 5, 2012
A truly amazing book - excellently researched and written. It's the story about the great French master chef Auguste Escoffier and his rise to fame in France and around the world. It's also a tender love story. Escoffier's love of his wife and also his powerful love for the great actress of the time Sarah Bernhardt. This novel takes place from around the late 1800's to Escoffier's death in 1920. The book is rich with powerful figures of the time - from well known world leaders to politicians and artists. The book is something else as well - a great and wonderful treasure trove of food and recipes from Escoffier's own books. Food is the golden thread that works its way through the book and holds all the characters together. Almost every page has something about the magnificent and glorious food - an almost sensual relationship begins between the reader and the words. N.M. Kelby knows how to write - her description of the food and the relationship between the characters is like a work of art. Magnificent!
December 6, 2022
2.5/5
Food is a sustaining pleasure I came into when I was well away from the kitchens and hallways of my childhood, where every action was a judgment and every conversation was an invitation to step into the crossfire. It's given me a genre on Netflix to indulge in and non-political topic of conversation during the lunch hour at work (although not always the case when a coworker insists on shitting on Chinese food in typical Euro female fashion), and ultimately, my life would be a great deal pallid (if not lifeless) without that eternally renewing enthusiasm. Still, I've spent far more years honing my skills in literature than I have my knives in my kitchen, so while I'll suspend my disbelief more for a food focused work, such isn't going to carry it all the way through. With this piece, the fact that it's utterly dripping with sensuality (if in a rather sexless manner) at every turn doesn't hurt, and I always enjoy diving headfirst into a picture of history that isn't the same rote or perspective or winners v. losers scenario that have come before. Still, my earlier criticisms tempered this enthusiasm to a middling range, and when the blown out myth of Nguyen Sinh Cung turned Nguyen Ai Quoc turned Hồ Chí Minh appeared during the last few sections, I couldn't help thinking about the aforementioned work of Truong's and how the author applied a similar scenario to far more narratologically effective and holistically poignant degree. It's not quite 'flipped open a random history textbook and wrote on the first topic one flung one's sightless finger upon', but the book still felt like a scrapbook of an excuse more often than not, and all its prettiness couldn't mask the lack of core.
I've whined an awful lot in this review, but I still wouldn't mind reading another of this author so long it that was more focused in its artistry. Judging from the ratings of Kelby's other works, I have my doubts that such a work exists, but then again, Truong hardly has her share of high average ratings, and look how she seduced me. For all that, what good I got from this read has increased my interest in ferreting out more works that fit into this oddly luxurious category of haute cuisine combined with historical grounding, where plot is only needed to keep the reader firmly in place and characters develop as they will, not as they should. The problem lies in how rarely I'm drawn towards that sort of read out in the wild, but keeping a still germinal eye on the latest (and possibly greatest) is still cracking the ice of my tastes, to the point that if I stumble across a queer romance (perhaps even comedy?!??!) that's centered around cooking, well. Stranger things have happened, as my current existence as a genderqueer librarian demonstrates, and if I've learned anything after nearly six months in my current line of work, it's that a devotion to literature isn't much if devotion to the softer sides of the self falls by the wayside. So, if you're looking for a pitch perfect read that invokes cooking alongside masterful writing in a way that leaves one satiated by the close, this isn't. If, however, you're in the mood to luxuriously meander, this work may be your pièce de résistance.
These artists love bridges. And this horrible London air: smoke always. It isn't fog at all. Awful. You can't breathe it but you can, apparently, paint it.A couple of years back, I acquired a copy of The Book of Salt by Monique Truong and, in a extremely rare but welcome set of circumstances, read it and loved it soon after. This book, lodged in my sights a decade ago and only appearing in acquirable form eight years afterward, is a very similar breed of food focused historical fiction, down to the lusciously drawn out prose and exquisitely rendered microvistas of plot, scene, and character. The problem, and this may be due to the fact that Kelby modeled her work after a real historical figure with worlds of facts to his name rather than an imagined figure at the border of many margins, is that the narrative couldn't decide what it wanted to do, or rather indulged in so many venues of carefully crafted wordings and exquisite historical moments that, when it came time to wrap up, one wasn't very sure about any of the characters in midst of their borderline nonsensical, if prettily described, causes and effects. Where Truong drew the reader into the heart of an incredibly credible character with all his triumphs and declines, Kelby flitted around with too many famous folks and fantasticals to leave a reader with much once all the glitz and glam was through. Lists of recipes and tales of kitchen voluptuousness is all very well in a well shot documentary, but it gets rather tedious on the page, and no amount of specifically chosen verbiage can remedy a chronic lack of reader engagement.
Food is a sustaining pleasure I came into when I was well away from the kitchens and hallways of my childhood, where every action was a judgment and every conversation was an invitation to step into the crossfire. It's given me a genre on Netflix to indulge in and non-political topic of conversation during the lunch hour at work (although not always the case when a coworker insists on shitting on Chinese food in typical Euro female fashion), and ultimately, my life would be a great deal pallid (if not lifeless) without that eternally renewing enthusiasm. Still, I've spent far more years honing my skills in literature than I have my knives in my kitchen, so while I'll suspend my disbelief more for a food focused work, such isn't going to carry it all the way through. With this piece, the fact that it's utterly dripping with sensuality (if in a rather sexless manner) at every turn doesn't hurt, and I always enjoy diving headfirst into a picture of history that isn't the same rote or perspective or winners v. losers scenario that have come before. Still, my earlier criticisms tempered this enthusiasm to a middling range, and when the blown out myth of Nguyen Sinh Cung turned Nguyen Ai Quoc turned Hồ Chí Minh appeared during the last few sections, I couldn't help thinking about the aforementioned work of Truong's and how the author applied a similar scenario to far more narratologically effective and holistically poignant degree. It's not quite 'flipped open a random history textbook and wrote on the first topic one flung one's sightless finger upon', but the book still felt like a scrapbook of an excuse more often than not, and all its prettiness couldn't mask the lack of core.
I've whined an awful lot in this review, but I still wouldn't mind reading another of this author so long it that was more focused in its artistry. Judging from the ratings of Kelby's other works, I have my doubts that such a work exists, but then again, Truong hardly has her share of high average ratings, and look how she seduced me. For all that, what good I got from this read has increased my interest in ferreting out more works that fit into this oddly luxurious category of haute cuisine combined with historical grounding, where plot is only needed to keep the reader firmly in place and characters develop as they will, not as they should. The problem lies in how rarely I'm drawn towards that sort of read out in the wild, but keeping a still germinal eye on the latest (and possibly greatest) is still cracking the ice of my tastes, to the point that if I stumble across a queer romance (perhaps even comedy?!??!) that's centered around cooking, well. Stranger things have happened, as my current existence as a genderqueer librarian demonstrates, and if I've learned anything after nearly six months in my current line of work, it's that a devotion to literature isn't much if devotion to the softer sides of the self falls by the wayside. So, if you're looking for a pitch perfect read that invokes cooking alongside masterful writing in a way that leaves one satiated by the close, this isn't. If, however, you're in the mood to luxuriously meander, this work may be your pièce de résistance.
July 3, 2019
This book was delicious. I can't believe it was recommended by my friend, the vegetarian but it was very open-minded of her to suffer through all the descriptions of foie gras and the drowning of langostinos in champagne as a part of the preparation, not to mention the rich aristocrats in Paris eating the zoo animals during the Siege of Paris by the Prussian army.
The story is basically the life of the famous chef Escoffier, whom the book credits for inventing the "new" French cuisine which relied basically on the reduction of natural flavors to pair with dishes instead of the more unnatural concoctions which preceded him. He is also credited with serving dishes in courses and hot out of the kitchen. Previous banquets had consisted of food prepared days in advance to make a giant display of wealth and bounty rather than food that was actually freshly cooked. Throughout his life, if this book is to be believed, he had a long-standing affair with Sarah Bernhardt who was a fascinating creature. I hesitate to say the story was well-written because it seemed stilted and overly dramatic but I enjoyed every minute of it, especially the descriptions of the food. Wonderful!
The story is basically the life of the famous chef Escoffier, whom the book credits for inventing the "new" French cuisine which relied basically on the reduction of natural flavors to pair with dishes instead of the more unnatural concoctions which preceded him. He is also credited with serving dishes in courses and hot out of the kitchen. Previous banquets had consisted of food prepared days in advance to make a giant display of wealth and bounty rather than food that was actually freshly cooked. Throughout his life, if this book is to be believed, he had a long-standing affair with Sarah Bernhardt who was a fascinating creature. I hesitate to say the story was well-written because it seemed stilted and overly dramatic but I enjoyed every minute of it, especially the descriptions of the food. Wonderful!
February 22, 2013
Escoffier – world famous chef – won his wife Delphine in a billiard game. In spite of this unpromising but romantic start to their married life they do stay married and died within a fortnight of each other. But in between they spent many years apart with Escoffier working at the Savoy in London and Delphine remaining in France to bring up their children. The book starts with Delphine seriously ill and wanting Escoffier to create a dish in her honour. Throughout his life he has created many dishes in honour of many beautiful and famous men and women but he has never created one names after his wife.
The story of Escoffier’s life is told in flashbacks. His relationship with the legendary Sarah Bernhardt dominated his life and Sabine, his current assistant, bears a resemblance to Sarah. I did enjoy this book though I found the chronology difficult to follow at times. The descriptions of famous meals are fascinating reading. I thought the characters were well drawn and I had a huge amount of sympathy for Delphine and for Sabine.
What comes over very well is Escoffier’s love affair with food. Every dish had to be perfect but many used simple fresh ingredients and relied on quality for the flavour. I found the relationship between Escoffier and Delphine convincing and it was clear they meant a lot to each other in spite of the huge amount of time they spent apart. This is a book to sink into and savour and the momentous events of the first thirty years of the twentieth century provide a tense backdrop to the food reminding the reader that whatever is going on in the world people still need to eat.
The story of Escoffier’s life is told in flashbacks. His relationship with the legendary Sarah Bernhardt dominated his life and Sabine, his current assistant, bears a resemblance to Sarah. I did enjoy this book though I found the chronology difficult to follow at times. The descriptions of famous meals are fascinating reading. I thought the characters were well drawn and I had a huge amount of sympathy for Delphine and for Sabine.
What comes over very well is Escoffier’s love affair with food. Every dish had to be perfect but many used simple fresh ingredients and relied on quality for the flavour. I found the relationship between Escoffier and Delphine convincing and it was clear they meant a lot to each other in spite of the huge amount of time they spent apart. This is a book to sink into and savour and the momentous events of the first thirty years of the twentieth century provide a tense backdrop to the food reminding the reader that whatever is going on in the world people still need to eat.
December 6, 2011
This is a delightful but somewhat simple book. There is no overt action and yet it is fascinating. It cover a portion of the life of the famous chef Escoffier, who defined cuisine at the Savoy and the Ritz. Although the story skips around, between different time periods, which was a bit confusing at first I decided to just delight in each chapter regardless of where in history it was. The main story is Escoffier returning home to his wife, who he had not lived with for thirty years, when they are both dying and he is 80 yrs. old. The history covered was amazing, from the Franco Prussian War to World War 1, famous artists, the actress Sarah Bernhardt and famous novelists. The food descriptions were wonderful and the way he sees food, the amazing menus he created and the dishes he names after famous people, all are related clearly so that the reader understands. Superb book!
November 29, 2011
I received WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER as a First Reads giveaway. It was delicious. Although I have read books with food relations in the past, they have always seemed a little cheesy (not a bad thing). However, this is the exception. The book detailed romance and elegance. Who ever knew there were so many uses for fois gras, champagne, and truffles?
Historical figures played a prominent role in the story yet it remained fiction. I enjoyed the eccentric nature of Sarah and the chef's dedication to her relationship.
I did find the style a little difficult at times. However, this only added to the feeling of the work. Some may find the book a challenge and not light hearted romance reading I first expected.
Historical figures played a prominent role in the story yet it remained fiction. I enjoyed the eccentric nature of Sarah and the chef's dedication to her relationship.
I did find the style a little difficult at times. However, this only added to the feeling of the work. Some may find the book a challenge and not light hearted romance reading I first expected.
June 24, 2012
A fictionalized life of Auguste Escoffier - the chef who set the stage for how we dine today in courses. The story is set primarily when he and his wife are approaching death and her greatest wish is that he create a recipe for her, like he has done for so many others - including many for his lifetime lover, Sarah Bernhardt. The book moves back and forth between the past and the end of Escoffier's life, telling the story of his tumultous loves, his passion for food and cooking, and his career in the restaurant industry. Well written--the descriptions of the sights, smells and tastes of food are wonderful. Interesting to read about Sarah Bernhardt - what an intriguing woman - the late 19th/early 20th century Madonna/Lady GaGa.
December 21, 2011
I LOVED this book. It reminded me of Like Water for Chocolate...I was mesmerized with the characters, the culture, the descriptions...Even though I would not have eaten some of the meals that the chef prepared, I was fascinated with his passion for his trade and how expressed himself with his meals. I also loved his tangled life as passions for those he loved.
I would recommend this book in a heartbeat. It is a book that will stay with me forever.
I would recommend this book in a heartbeat. It is a book that will stay with me forever.
April 26, 2020
Dosadno. Skače iz vremena u vrijeme. Očekivala sam da se više o kuhanju.
Da, recepti su tu, ali mislim da su napisani za vrhunske kuhare. I ni malo mi se nije svidjelo da su svi nazivi jela neprevedeni što se cijelo vrijeme insistira u knjizi. Ipak mislim da su se mogle staviti fusnote jer smatram da nema toga što se ne može prevesti ili objasniti.
Gubitak vremena.
Da, recepti su tu, ali mislim da su napisani za vrhunske kuhare. I ni malo mi se nije svidjelo da su svi nazivi jela neprevedeni što se cijelo vrijeme insistira u knjizi. Ipak mislim da su se mogle staviti fusnote jer smatram da nema toga što se ne može prevesti ili objasniti.
Gubitak vremena.
July 24, 2023
Its such a beautiful book, but so disorganized. The portraits of the characters kept slipping away, never forming a bigger picture. The plot kept jumping from the past to the present day and vice versa. One time it is Sarah, then Sabine.. But it made me research Sarah Bernhardt, what a badass woman.
May 2, 2019
Interesting fictional story about French Chef Auguste Escoffier, his marriage to poet Delphine, his lifelong extramarital affair with the actress Sarah Bernhardt, as well as other women, and his love affair with food. Story kept my attention although long on the dreary meat and seafood recipes. ugh
January 21, 2019
The impressionistic writing didn't work for me. It felt sloppy and disorganized, and while wandering about didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Disappointing. I gave up 50 pages in.
August 31, 2019
Too much time is spent on cooking and not enough on character development.
January 9, 2021
This is thee perfect book to start this new year with. Stunningly beautiful book. Lush and warmly romantic!
January 8, 2023
Indulgent and sensual, I truly let go of any expectation of historical accuracy and read this merely as a love letter to food and a fragmentary glimpse of one man's loves and life.
September 9, 2016
I’ve just finished a story about a chef who won his wife in a pool game; worked in the finest hotels in the world; saved hundreds of people from a fire; cooked for kings and queens; had affairs with high-profile women; fought in wars; lived apart from his wife for decades but spent his last months with her; coined a word (deliciousness/ umami); and revolutionised the way kitchens were set up and run.
It may sound like fiction but it’s all part of the life of French chef, Auguste Escoffier. It’s remarkable stuff. Yet with so much to work with, why did I find N. M. Kelby’s novel, White Truffles in Winter, bland?
Kelby’s writing style is floral – descriptive, detailed and pretty. Not my usual thing but then again, if I’m reading about simmering veal stock or kneading butter into brioche dough, it’s fine.
I was also fine with the inclusion of trivial facts and descriptions of cooking techniques throughout the text, even if they appeared a little forced in some instances – mention of how famous dishes came about; the correct way to make tomato sauce; and that the number of pleats in a chef’s toque represent the number of ways he or she can cook eggs, were interesting. However, the story was not dynamic and there was a feeling of emotional detachment, or rather coolness, that left the whole thing flat.
Apart from dissecting Escoffier’s past, the story focused around his wife’s dying wish that he creates a dish specifically for her. However, I struggled with the love in this story. I didn’t feel Escoffier’s desire for anyone, let alone the fact that he was supposedly torn between his wife and actress Sarah Bernhardt. His relationships with both women lacked passion – without passion and desire, it’s hard to convince the reader of motive.
There was light relief in the character of Sabine, a feisty young woman employed to look after the Escoffier’s in their dying days –
“…she’d fallen asleep with the book in her hand dreaming of the line ‘One must not forget that good, sound cooking, even the very simplest, makes a contented home.’
The next morning she awoke wanting a cigarette and a sailor. Unfortunately, neither was readily available…”
Alas, not enough to make this book wholly satisfying.
2.5/5 If you like reading about food, it’s a good pick, otherwise…
P.S. I don’t think this is overthinking Bearnaise sauce, do you?!
“Even many years later when you find yourself standing by your son’s grave, there are no words that can describe that moment, the depth of it. But a sauce can reflect that moment. Nothing speaks more accurately to the complexity of life than food. Who has not had, let us say, a Bearnaise, the child of hollandaise, and has not come away from the taste of it feeling overwhelmed?
At first, it fills the mouth with the softness of butter and then the richness of egg, and before it becomes too rich or too comfortable, the moment shifts and begins to ground itself in darkness with the root of a shallot and the hint of crushed peppercorns. But then the taste deepens. The memory of rebirth is made manifest with the sacred chervil, sweet and grassy with a note of liquorice, whose spring scent is so like myrrh that it recalls the gift of the Wise Men and the holy birth whenever it is tasted. And then, of course, the ‘King of Herbs’, tarragon with its gentle liquorice, reminds us not to forget that miracles are possible. And just when we think we understand what we are experiencing, the taste turns again on the tongue, and finishes with shrill vinegar, followed by a reduction of wine, so that the acid tempers the sauce but never dominates. And, finally, in your mouth, you have the entire experience of father and child that you tried to put into words – from the fleeting comfort to the moment where you finally realize that life is beyond your control and everything needs balance, even faith.”
It may sound like fiction but it’s all part of the life of French chef, Auguste Escoffier. It’s remarkable stuff. Yet with so much to work with, why did I find N. M. Kelby’s novel, White Truffles in Winter, bland?
Kelby’s writing style is floral – descriptive, detailed and pretty. Not my usual thing but then again, if I’m reading about simmering veal stock or kneading butter into brioche dough, it’s fine.
I was also fine with the inclusion of trivial facts and descriptions of cooking techniques throughout the text, even if they appeared a little forced in some instances – mention of how famous dishes came about; the correct way to make tomato sauce; and that the number of pleats in a chef’s toque represent the number of ways he or she can cook eggs, were interesting. However, the story was not dynamic and there was a feeling of emotional detachment, or rather coolness, that left the whole thing flat.
Apart from dissecting Escoffier’s past, the story focused around his wife’s dying wish that he creates a dish specifically for her. However, I struggled with the love in this story. I didn’t feel Escoffier’s desire for anyone, let alone the fact that he was supposedly torn between his wife and actress Sarah Bernhardt. His relationships with both women lacked passion – without passion and desire, it’s hard to convince the reader of motive.
There was light relief in the character of Sabine, a feisty young woman employed to look after the Escoffier’s in their dying days –
“…she’d fallen asleep with the book in her hand dreaming of the line ‘One must not forget that good, sound cooking, even the very simplest, makes a contented home.’
The next morning she awoke wanting a cigarette and a sailor. Unfortunately, neither was readily available…”
Alas, not enough to make this book wholly satisfying.
2.5/5 If you like reading about food, it’s a good pick, otherwise…
P.S. I don’t think this is overthinking Bearnaise sauce, do you?!
“Even many years later when you find yourself standing by your son’s grave, there are no words that can describe that moment, the depth of it. But a sauce can reflect that moment. Nothing speaks more accurately to the complexity of life than food. Who has not had, let us say, a Bearnaise, the child of hollandaise, and has not come away from the taste of it feeling overwhelmed?
At first, it fills the mouth with the softness of butter and then the richness of egg, and before it becomes too rich or too comfortable, the moment shifts and begins to ground itself in darkness with the root of a shallot and the hint of crushed peppercorns. But then the taste deepens. The memory of rebirth is made manifest with the sacred chervil, sweet and grassy with a note of liquorice, whose spring scent is so like myrrh that it recalls the gift of the Wise Men and the holy birth whenever it is tasted. And then, of course, the ‘King of Herbs’, tarragon with its gentle liquorice, reminds us not to forget that miracles are possible. And just when we think we understand what we are experiencing, the taste turns again on the tongue, and finishes with shrill vinegar, followed by a reduction of wine, so that the acid tempers the sauce but never dominates. And, finally, in your mouth, you have the entire experience of father and child that you tried to put into words – from the fleeting comfort to the moment where you finally realize that life is beyond your control and everything needs balance, even faith.”
March 1, 2014
The first thing to remember when reading WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER by N.M. Kelby is that while the three central characters are "real" the story itself is the work of the author's rather vivid imagination. In it she conjures up a tale of food, love, and the love of food. Her imaginative journey into the life of food-obsessed chef, Auguste Escoffier, his unconventionally liberated wife, poet Delphine Daffis, and the "other woman" in his life - the bold, free-spirited Sarah Bernhardt is as delectable to one's reading palate as the dishes created by this amazing chef who pioneered French cuisine.
Being neither a gourmet cook nor an expert in fine dining, I was not personally familiar with the name Auguste Escoffier but discovered that I was, however, familiar with some of the dishes he created like Peach Melba and Cherries Jubilee (created for Queen Victoria) as well as some of the famous places where he plied his talent like The Ritz, The Carlton and The Savoy hotels.
The tale is basically told in retrospect by an aged Escoffier and combines the story of his unconventional love life with unusual recipes, related in a most uncommon manner. At times the recipes almost overwhelm the story as Kelby chooses to demonstrate Escoffier's compulsion for creating the new and unusual in an effusive and highly romanticized fashion. For this reader at least, some of this descriptive writing was a little "over the top" and flowery in conveying the message that Escoffier could never really be as loving and devoted to any woman as he was to his first true love, food for which he abandoned family, friends and homeland.
Author Kelby presents an interesting take on the life of Escoffier and his many contributions to the art of cooking. Possibly his most important contribution can be appreciated by folks such as Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsey, and their ilk since it was Escoffier who raised the bar, so to speak, in elevating the "cook" from the status of lowly servant to "chef", a respected and financially rewarding profession in addition to introducing the organized discipline necessary to successful restaurant kitchen management. Overall, this is a book that makes every reader consider their own relationship with food and whether it could every reach the level of obsession experienced by Escoffier.
One last question: Is the title of the book and it's placement in the novel a metaphor for the initial beauty of youth which we try in vain to preserve from the inevitable passing of time and of the ultimate decay and death which awaits us all?- 3 ½ stars
Being neither a gourmet cook nor an expert in fine dining, I was not personally familiar with the name Auguste Escoffier but discovered that I was, however, familiar with some of the dishes he created like Peach Melba and Cherries Jubilee (created for Queen Victoria) as well as some of the famous places where he plied his talent like The Ritz, The Carlton and The Savoy hotels.
The tale is basically told in retrospect by an aged Escoffier and combines the story of his unconventional love life with unusual recipes, related in a most uncommon manner. At times the recipes almost overwhelm the story as Kelby chooses to demonstrate Escoffier's compulsion for creating the new and unusual in an effusive and highly romanticized fashion. For this reader at least, some of this descriptive writing was a little "over the top" and flowery in conveying the message that Escoffier could never really be as loving and devoted to any woman as he was to his first true love, food for which he abandoned family, friends and homeland.
Author Kelby presents an interesting take on the life of Escoffier and his many contributions to the art of cooking. Possibly his most important contribution can be appreciated by folks such as Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsey, and their ilk since it was Escoffier who raised the bar, so to speak, in elevating the "cook" from the status of lowly servant to "chef", a respected and financially rewarding profession in addition to introducing the organized discipline necessary to successful restaurant kitchen management. Overall, this is a book that makes every reader consider their own relationship with food and whether it could every reach the level of obsession experienced by Escoffier.
One last question: Is the title of the book and it's placement in the novel a metaphor for the initial beauty of youth which we try in vain to preserve from the inevitable passing of time and of the ultimate decay and death which awaits us all?- 3 ½ stars
July 17, 2017
This book was the selection for a book club I was asked to join. Most of the people in it are great cooks and several grow their own food. I was a little intimindated to join since I do not like to cook and I was not sure if the book was going to be too abstract for me.
I am ashamed to admit I did not even realize Escoffier was a real person until more than halfway through the book.
This book was something I never would have picked myself but that is the beauty of a book club- reading outside my comfort zone and finding something interesting and enjoyable. I had to frequent Google as I looked up the time frame and some of the historical references that I was not familiar with. I was never sure what was fact and what was embelished for the story.
Although it may have made it a bit hard to follow, I enjoyed the fact that the narrative jumped between time frames and points of view. The descriptions of some of the culinary delights, the preparation, and presentation were downright poetic. However it just confirmed the fact that cooking is an anxiety producing effort for me.
I know most of the women in the group could not get past Escoffoer’s infidelity and they did not care for him as a character. In fact he had several unscrupulous practices that were romanticised. While he was not a likeable character I do appreciate his passion for his art-and it truly was an art to him, even if he had to embellish the truth to give the illusion of what would please the aristocrats that he often served.
There was something I found hopelessly romantic about his return to his wife at the end of his career, and the way they were able to reconnect on a primal level-over food of course.
I don’t know if I would recommend this book to anyone I know but I did enjoy it and some of the quotes that stuck with me.
Perhaps love is the worst addiction of all.
describing Barnum
He was an unparalleled promoter, unrepentant liar and public dreamer-a man with a chef’s heart.
Happiness is our best revenge.
“I love you Madame Escoffier.”
“There were times when you had forgotten this.”
He said nothing. It ws true and they both knew it.
“To be forgotten is the saddest thing of all,” she said.
I am ashamed to admit I did not even realize Escoffier was a real person until more than halfway through the book.
This book was something I never would have picked myself but that is the beauty of a book club- reading outside my comfort zone and finding something interesting and enjoyable. I had to frequent Google as I looked up the time frame and some of the historical references that I was not familiar with. I was never sure what was fact and what was embelished for the story.
Although it may have made it a bit hard to follow, I enjoyed the fact that the narrative jumped between time frames and points of view. The descriptions of some of the culinary delights, the preparation, and presentation were downright poetic. However it just confirmed the fact that cooking is an anxiety producing effort for me.
I know most of the women in the group could not get past Escoffoer’s infidelity and they did not care for him as a character. In fact he had several unscrupulous practices that were romanticised. While he was not a likeable character I do appreciate his passion for his art-and it truly was an art to him, even if he had to embellish the truth to give the illusion of what would please the aristocrats that he often served.
There was something I found hopelessly romantic about his return to his wife at the end of his career, and the way they were able to reconnect on a primal level-over food of course.
I don’t know if I would recommend this book to anyone I know but I did enjoy it and some of the quotes that stuck with me.
Perhaps love is the worst addiction of all.
describing Barnum
He was an unparalleled promoter, unrepentant liar and public dreamer-a man with a chef’s heart.
Happiness is our best revenge.
“I love you Madame Escoffier.”
“There were times when you had forgotten this.”
He said nothing. It ws true and they both knew it.
“To be forgotten is the saddest thing of all,” she said.
January 24, 2012
In this decadent novel, author N.M. Kelby transports readers into the world of acclaimed French chef, Auguste Escoffier, towards the end of his life as he is writing his memoirs. Also focusing on his ailing wife, Delphine, and his impudent housekeeper, Sabine, it tackles his life beyond the kitchens of the world’s finest hotels.
Escoffier is a passionate chef who loves everything about food preparation down to lovingly caring for the tools of his craft. This passion, at times, overcomes everything around him. He escapes into his work and is able to ignore his surroundings and circumstances. The same appears to be true of his memoir writing, which allows him to escape into his memories and avoid the painful present.
Kelby writes in a sensual, evocative style. Her mouth-watering descriptions of food provide a backdrop into which she inserts mysterious, distant characters one can never quite grasp. Their motivations are often elusive, their actions evasive, and their behaviours intriguing. All of these elements invite readers to draw their own conclusions.
I found the memoir vignettes quite appealing since they combined storytelling and recipes. The cookbooks I love the most give the background and inspiration of the dish being prepared and these chapters were reminiscent of such books, adding another dimension to the novel.
I must admit that before reading this novel I didn’t know much about Escoffier, who has been called the father of modern French cuisine, and was somewhat amazed at all the culinary wonders and techniques attributed to him. It reminded me of why I love historical novels: if written and researched well, they transport readers to another time and place and cast a spotlight on historical figures that have shaped our experiences in the present. Kelby manages this feat with panache and style. Stirring ingredients of truth into a bowl of fiction, she creates an extravagant recipe. ‘White Truffles in Winter’ is an indulgent read that you don’t want to resist.
Escoffier is a passionate chef who loves everything about food preparation down to lovingly caring for the tools of his craft. This passion, at times, overcomes everything around him. He escapes into his work and is able to ignore his surroundings and circumstances. The same appears to be true of his memoir writing, which allows him to escape into his memories and avoid the painful present.
Kelby writes in a sensual, evocative style. Her mouth-watering descriptions of food provide a backdrop into which she inserts mysterious, distant characters one can never quite grasp. Their motivations are often elusive, their actions evasive, and their behaviours intriguing. All of these elements invite readers to draw their own conclusions.
I found the memoir vignettes quite appealing since they combined storytelling and recipes. The cookbooks I love the most give the background and inspiration of the dish being prepared and these chapters were reminiscent of such books, adding another dimension to the novel.
I must admit that before reading this novel I didn’t know much about Escoffier, who has been called the father of modern French cuisine, and was somewhat amazed at all the culinary wonders and techniques attributed to him. It reminded me of why I love historical novels: if written and researched well, they transport readers to another time and place and cast a spotlight on historical figures that have shaped our experiences in the present. Kelby manages this feat with panache and style. Stirring ingredients of truth into a bowl of fiction, she creates an extravagant recipe. ‘White Truffles in Winter’ is an indulgent read that you don’t want to resist.
March 30, 2012
The descriptions in this book were lush and playful. The descriptions of food and cooking were especially well done. I think that Kelby captured the right balance of the sensual and cerebral that is at the heart of a lot of fine cuisine. Yet somehow, after all of those dazzling moments, I was not completely satisfied. I've thought about that and I've decided that that feeling is actually a credit to the novel.
Part of my problem is due to a personal sensitivity. I almost cannot bear stories of infidelity--even emotionally complex ones like this one. I also have little patience with characters like Bernhardt--those untouchable, doomed, self-consciously eccentric, and capricious creatures of isolated privilege. She is a more palatable version to be sure. Maybe it was the characterization as a whole that gave me trouble. I found myself immediately fixing on Delphine, but the novel never let me get that close to her. Or to anyone, really. What I wanted, I suppose, was the story of their marriage. Why did he choose her? What were they thinking? We get a sense in general but I wanted a fuller exploration--details, details, details.
But that would be what--like a fast food meal? Superficially good because it relied on too much sugar, too much fat, and too much salt to mask its lack of substance? What this is closer to is a gourmet meal--complexity of flavors and ingredients, doled out in small portions. Enough to tantalize but not to fill. Sweet, salt, and fat balanced with bitter, acid, and--ah, yes...deliciousness.
I'm not saying that this is the most brilliant novel I've read. Far from it. But I give it credit for not taking the easy way out even if that is what I wanted it to do. It is pleasurable and interesting. It is like the veal stock that is described in the book itself. It is substantive in a way that isn't flashy. I would give this one 3.5 stars if I could.
Part of my problem is due to a personal sensitivity. I almost cannot bear stories of infidelity--even emotionally complex ones like this one. I also have little patience with characters like Bernhardt--those untouchable, doomed, self-consciously eccentric, and capricious creatures of isolated privilege. She is a more palatable version to be sure. Maybe it was the characterization as a whole that gave me trouble. I found myself immediately fixing on Delphine, but the novel never let me get that close to her. Or to anyone, really. What I wanted, I suppose, was the story of their marriage. Why did he choose her? What were they thinking? We get a sense in general but I wanted a fuller exploration--details, details, details.
But that would be what--like a fast food meal? Superficially good because it relied on too much sugar, too much fat, and too much salt to mask its lack of substance? What this is closer to is a gourmet meal--complexity of flavors and ingredients, doled out in small portions. Enough to tantalize but not to fill. Sweet, salt, and fat balanced with bitter, acid, and--ah, yes...deliciousness.
I'm not saying that this is the most brilliant novel I've read. Far from it. But I give it credit for not taking the easy way out even if that is what I wanted it to do. It is pleasurable and interesting. It is like the veal stock that is described in the book itself. It is substantive in a way that isn't flashy. I would give this one 3.5 stars if I could.
June 18, 2014
Бели трюфели през зимата е една изящна книга, която стимулира сетивата и гъделичка въображението по много и различни начини. Признавам, че когато я купувах, нямах представа нито кой е Огюст Ескофие, нито каква е значимостта му за съвременната кулинария. Очаквах биографичен роман, по-скоро скучноват и информативен, отколкото интригуващ и чувствен. Оказа се, че съм била в голяма грешка. Бели трюфели през зимата всъщност е една прекрасна плетеница от биографични факти от живота на великия готвач и художествена измислица, която умело попълва празнотата във фактологията и придава на книгата привкус на исторически роман. Като любител-кулинар, останах дълбоко впечатлена от живите детайли от кухнята, фините блюда, посветени на известни исторически личности, кулинарните тънкости, ароматите и вкусовете, преливащи от страниците, стремежа към съвършенство, стил и изисканост дори и в смутните военни времена, пълната отдаденост на страстта към готвенето като проекция на страстта към живота. Тази книга ме накара да се замисля за пореден път за това как на пръв поглед дребните неща в живота ни могат да му придадат не смисъл--защото "смисъл" е твърде шаблонно и банално понятие--но да му придадат обаятелност, очарование, страст и желание да го изживеем по един красив и вдъхновяващ начин. И макар на ниво персонажи да не успях да усетя добре никой от главните герои--освен може би колоритната Сабин--детайлите, изпъстрили тази странна смесица от биография, личен дневник и готварски наръчник с рецепти ме заредиха с толкова жива, бликаща енергия за живот, която дълго ще помня. Това е книга, която вероятно няма да допадне на всички; може би мнозина ще я намерят за скучна, но несъмнено ще има и такива, които са в подходящото разположение на духа, за да оценят пъстрата палитра от емоции, които тя предлага: Храната е едно прекрасно вълшебство, а да повярваш във вълшебствата и да ги създаваш, е изключителен и необходим акт.
И така. Мълчаливо. Гответе.
И така. Мълчаливо. Гответе.
January 20, 2012
A charming, witty, and sometimes heartbreaking story about love, loss, endurance, and most importantly food!
I found this book thoroughly enjoyable to read. I have always found the culinary arts to be interesting, and think it can be fascinating the way in which throughout time food has been used within literature. One of the things which I really enjoyed about this book is the way in which throughout from beginning to end food is used to convey a story, to inspire emotions and evoke all of the senses. I found "The Complete Escoffier: A Memoir in Meals" particularly charming.
The books tells of the story of famous chef Escoffier and his great passion for both food and women, as he struggles between the two women whom hold his heart. His lover time lover, the notorious and outrageous actress Sara Bernhardt and his wife who he carried a deep and complex love for the poet Delphine.
As proof of his lover to her Delphine requests the one thing which Escoffier cannot give because of the very nature of his love for his wife. Delphine wants to be immortalized through food, and requests him to make a dish in her name. Throughout his career he has made dishes for countless famous personalities and countless dishes for his Sara, but whenever his wife asks he refuses. She believing it a sign that he has forgotten his love for her, but he finds it impossible to find any dish that is worthy of capturing her.
The story goes back and forth between the amusing episodes of Delphine as an old sickly woman trying to enable the help of their servant Sabine, to get Escoffier to make her a dish before she dies. Sabine is outspoken, and a notoriously bad cook, most noted for her resemblance to the famous Sarah. And the early days of Escoffier's life. His passion for Sarah, the devolvement of his career and his sorrows and joys.
I found this book thoroughly enjoyable to read. I have always found the culinary arts to be interesting, and think it can be fascinating the way in which throughout time food has been used within literature. One of the things which I really enjoyed about this book is the way in which throughout from beginning to end food is used to convey a story, to inspire emotions and evoke all of the senses. I found "The Complete Escoffier: A Memoir in Meals" particularly charming.
The books tells of the story of famous chef Escoffier and his great passion for both food and women, as he struggles between the two women whom hold his heart. His lover time lover, the notorious and outrageous actress Sara Bernhardt and his wife who he carried a deep and complex love for the poet Delphine.
As proof of his lover to her Delphine requests the one thing which Escoffier cannot give because of the very nature of his love for his wife. Delphine wants to be immortalized through food, and requests him to make a dish in her name. Throughout his career he has made dishes for countless famous personalities and countless dishes for his Sara, but whenever his wife asks he refuses. She believing it a sign that he has forgotten his love for her, but he finds it impossible to find any dish that is worthy of capturing her.
The story goes back and forth between the amusing episodes of Delphine as an old sickly woman trying to enable the help of their servant Sabine, to get Escoffier to make her a dish before she dies. Sabine is outspoken, and a notoriously bad cook, most noted for her resemblance to the famous Sarah. And the early days of Escoffier's life. His passion for Sarah, the devolvement of his career and his sorrows and joys.
July 27, 2016
A truly amazing book - excellently researched by the author, and superbly written. It's the story about the great French master chef Auguste Escoffier -a real chef- and his rise to fame in France (and around the world). It's also a tender love story.
Escoffier's love of his wife was legendary, but not as well known as his powerful love for the great actress of the time Sarah Bernhardt. This novel takes place from around the late 1800's to Escoffier's death in 1920.
Kelby's novel is rich with powerful figures of the time - from well known world leaders to politicians and artists. The book is something else as well - a great and wonderful treasure trove of food and recipes from Escoffier's own books.
Glorious masterpieces of food are the golden threads that work its way through the book and these threads hold all the characters together. Almost every page has something about the magnificent and yummy dishes, so that an almost sensual relationship begins between the reader and the words.
N.M. Kelby knows how to write - her description of the food and the relationship between the characters is like a work of art. Her words are poetic, and clearly show about life at a time when things were more simple.. except for the love of beauty in food. Nourishing and fulfilling, this book will make you fall in love; both with the author, and the characters.
Magnificent!!
**A special note for N.M. Kelby: I read every word that Escoffier said, in David Suchet's voice. Like when he's playing Poirot? Yeah... and I loved it even more. :D
Escoffier's love of his wife was legendary, but not as well known as his powerful love for the great actress of the time Sarah Bernhardt. This novel takes place from around the late 1800's to Escoffier's death in 1920.
Kelby's novel is rich with powerful figures of the time - from well known world leaders to politicians and artists. The book is something else as well - a great and wonderful treasure trove of food and recipes from Escoffier's own books.
Glorious masterpieces of food are the golden threads that work its way through the book and these threads hold all the characters together. Almost every page has something about the magnificent and yummy dishes, so that an almost sensual relationship begins between the reader and the words.
N.M. Kelby knows how to write - her description of the food and the relationship between the characters is like a work of art. Her words are poetic, and clearly show about life at a time when things were more simple.. except for the love of beauty in food. Nourishing and fulfilling, this book will make you fall in love; both with the author, and the characters.
Magnificent!!
**A special note for N.M. Kelby: I read every word that Escoffier said, in David Suchet's voice. Like when he's playing Poirot? Yeah... and I loved it even more. :D
January 22, 2012
As the world marches toward the Second World War, the famous chef Auguste Escoffier and his wife, the poet Delfine Defis, are destitute and nearing death at their villa in Monte Carlo. During much of their marriage, the Escoffiers have lived apart, due to his long affair with the actress Sarah Bernhardt. Escoffier created and named many dishes for Bernhardt, but never one for his wife. Now, together again, Delfine wants a dish created by Escoffier for her, and hires a cook with an uncanny resemblance to Bernhardt to inspire him.
I had some difficulties with this book. I found it difficult to follow what was going on in the present time, but thoroughly understood and enjoyed the flashbacks. At the end of the story, I discovered that the flashbacks had filled in for me what was going on in the present part of the story. But some of the book was frustrating for me while I was reading it. It was interesting to see Escoffier's connection between food and passion, food and love, and food and life, much as an artist or musician would make that connection with their art and passion, love and life. I particularly enjoyed the excerpts from the book that the author has Escoffier writing at the time of his death. All in all a very enjoyable and informative novel. The best part is getting to say over and over in you mind as you read the name Escoffier. It has a lovely sound.
I had some difficulties with this book. I found it difficult to follow what was going on in the present time, but thoroughly understood and enjoyed the flashbacks. At the end of the story, I discovered that the flashbacks had filled in for me what was going on in the present part of the story. But some of the book was frustrating for me while I was reading it. It was interesting to see Escoffier's connection between food and passion, food and love, and food and life, much as an artist or musician would make that connection with their art and passion, love and life. I particularly enjoyed the excerpts from the book that the author has Escoffier writing at the time of his death. All in all a very enjoyable and informative novel. The best part is getting to say over and over in you mind as you read the name Escoffier. It has a lovely sound.
December 20, 2011
In this novel, Kelby takes on the story of unparalleled French chef, Auguste Escoffier. During her research, she found few accurate facts regarding the man, so in this work of fiction, she takes many liberties in detailing his life.
In lush sensual prose she describes Escoffier's obsession with food and his ability for great passion. She tells of his time as a cook in the Franco-Prussian War, as master chef in restaurants in both Paris and London, and as a close friend to nobility and world leaders. The heart of the story, however, is his love for two very different women: the actress Sarah Bernhardt, and his wife, the poet Delphine Daffis, whose hand in marriage he gambled for in a game of billiards.
To quote a favorite passage (p. 194): "Jesus is quite a popular fellow with my people and has many small sausages named after him in the Basque and Savoy regions. However, since Christ was born a Jew in a pig-less culinary culture, I doubt very much if he would approve this bounty of saucissons and yet, it matters not. They fly off the shelves, especially at Easter.
"Guilt does wonders for the appetite."
A wonderful read, about a fascinating man.
In lush sensual prose she describes Escoffier's obsession with food and his ability for great passion. She tells of his time as a cook in the Franco-Prussian War, as master chef in restaurants in both Paris and London, and as a close friend to nobility and world leaders. The heart of the story, however, is his love for two very different women: the actress Sarah Bernhardt, and his wife, the poet Delphine Daffis, whose hand in marriage he gambled for in a game of billiards.
To quote a favorite passage (p. 194): "Jesus is quite a popular fellow with my people and has many small sausages named after him in the Basque and Savoy regions. However, since Christ was born a Jew in a pig-less culinary culture, I doubt very much if he would approve this bounty of saucissons and yet, it matters not. They fly off the shelves, especially at Easter.
"Guilt does wonders for the appetite."
A wonderful read, about a fascinating man.
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