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Murder in the Kitchen
In this memoir-turned-cookbook, Alice B. Toklas describes her life with partner Gertrude Stein and their famed Paris salon, which entertained the great avant-garde and literary figures of their day.
With dry wit and characteristic understatement Toklas ponders the ethics of killing a carp in her kitchen before stuffing it with chestnuts; decorating a fish to amuse Picasso at lunch; and travelling across France during the First World War in an old delivery truck, gathering local recipes along the way. She includes a friend's playful recipe for 'Haschiche Fudge', which promises 'brilliant storms of laughter and ecstatic reveries', much like her book.
With dry wit and characteristic understatement Toklas ponders the ethics of killing a carp in her kitchen before stuffing it with chestnuts; decorating a fish to amuse Picasso at lunch; and travelling across France during the First World War in an old delivery truck, gathering local recipes along the way. She includes a friend's playful recipe for 'Haschiche Fudge', which promises 'brilliant storms of laughter and ecstatic reveries', much like her book.
86 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1954
About the author
Alice B. Toklas
14 books48 followersPeople remember American writer Alice Babette Toklas as the domestic partner of Gertrude Stein; her works include cookbooks and a volume of memoirs.
She joined as a member of the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th century. Born to a Polish army officer in a middle-class Jewish family, she attended schools in San Francisco and Seattle. For a short time, she also studied music at the University of Washington.
She arrived in Paris and met on 8 September 1907.
Together, they hosted a salon that attracted expatriates, such as Ernest Miller Hemingway, Paul Bowles, Thornton Niven Wilder, and Sherwood Anderson, and avant-garde painters, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Georges Braque.
Toklas, a background figure, acted as confidante, secretary, muse, editor, critic, and general organizer and chiefly living in the shadow until she published in 1933 under the teasing title The Autobiography of Alice Babette Toklas , bestselling book.
Source: Wikipedia
She joined as a member of the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th century. Born to a Polish army officer in a middle-class Jewish family, she attended schools in San Francisco and Seattle. For a short time, she also studied music at the University of Washington.
She arrived in Paris and met on 8 September 1907.
Together, they hosted a salon that attracted expatriates, such as Ernest Miller Hemingway, Paul Bowles, Thornton Niven Wilder, and Sherwood Anderson, and avant-garde painters, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Georges Braque.
Toklas, a background figure, acted as confidante, secretary, muse, editor, critic, and general organizer and chiefly living in the shadow until she published in 1933 under the teasing title The Autobiography of Alice Babette Toklas , bestselling book.
Source: Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 17, 2015
This is actually a rather interesting little travel-cook book and if the full book is like this little excerpt book, I could image reading the entire thing. My only issue with it is why couldn't Penguin add a conversion table? We don't use the cups system in the UK!
Alice B Toklas lived with Gertrude Stein in France before the start of the first world war. She did the cooking and she also collected recipes when they travelled around France. At relevant points in her tales, she will throw in a recipe of the food she is writing about. There is a short chapter about food she cooked for famous people (such as Picasso); a chapter about having to kill for food - fish, ducks, chickens and so forth. These days it's oh so easy for us to become disconnected from the fact that a lot of our food was originally a living thing, and perhaps it doesn't hurt to be reminded and respectful of that fact. The major chapter here is about the interestingly named vehicles they had (such as Aunt Pauline!) and them driving around helping out with the wounded during the first world war, some of the rationing and effects, and the various people and foodie regions they went to. There's also the tale of an Austrian chef they employed for a short time who had to abandon his true love because a mad woman threatened to kill him if he didn't marry her. And it all ends on a recipe for Haschich Fudge - Penguin, what are you saying to us?! =)
I've not tried any of the recipies in this book, partly because there are a number of red meat things, which have no interest for me, partly because there is a scary amount of cream and butter going on, and of course because I work in grams not cups!
Alice B Toklas lived with Gertrude Stein in France before the start of the first world war. She did the cooking and she also collected recipes when they travelled around France. At relevant points in her tales, she will throw in a recipe of the food she is writing about. There is a short chapter about food she cooked for famous people (such as Picasso); a chapter about having to kill for food - fish, ducks, chickens and so forth. These days it's oh so easy for us to become disconnected from the fact that a lot of our food was originally a living thing, and perhaps it doesn't hurt to be reminded and respectful of that fact. The major chapter here is about the interestingly named vehicles they had (such as Aunt Pauline!) and them driving around helping out with the wounded during the first world war, some of the rationing and effects, and the various people and foodie regions they went to. There's also the tale of an Austrian chef they employed for a short time who had to abandon his true love because a mad woman threatened to kill him if he didn't marry her. And it all ends on a recipe for Haschich Fudge - Penguin, what are you saying to us?! =)
I've not tried any of the recipies in this book, partly because there are a number of red meat things, which have no interest for me, partly because there is a scary amount of cream and butter going on, and of course because I work in grams not cups!
January 10, 2016
What a great start to 2016!
So it's not very often you get a lgbtq cookbook memoir! none the less a very good one. Alice's writing is absolutely excellent and there is something very lesuirely but informative about her prose. As if she is relative telling you her life story rather than a book you are reading. I'd love to try a few of the recipes as well.
Also Penguins cover design for this and the series in general is gorgeous they'd make a great present or addition to a bookshelf!
So it's not very often you get a lgbtq cookbook memoir! none the less a very good one. Alice's writing is absolutely excellent and there is something very lesuirely but informative about her prose. As if she is relative telling you her life story rather than a book you are reading. I'd love to try a few of the recipes as well.
Also Penguins cover design for this and the series in general is gorgeous they'd make a great present or addition to a bookshelf!
May 19, 2025
“The only way to learn to cook is to cook” made me think of chef gusteau from ratatouille <3
June 11, 2015
Murder in the Kitchen is part of the Penguin Great Food series, featuring excerpts from various books to do with food.
Alice B. Toklas was the cook and partner of Gertrude Stein. Together they had a house where they hosted several artists and writers such as Picasso.
Alice B. Toklas had a really interesting life and this book has snippets of stories from her life. Interspersed with these stories are recipes she collected and created throughout her life.
The recipes themselves sounded really good and there were a few of them that I wouldn't mind trying.
I really enjoyed reading Murder in the Kitchen and my only complaint is that there wasn't enough of it. Luckily, this is an excerpt from Toklas' book, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook so I imagine I will be checking that out eventually.
Alice B. Toklas was the cook and partner of Gertrude Stein. Together they had a house where they hosted several artists and writers such as Picasso.
Alice B. Toklas had a really interesting life and this book has snippets of stories from her life. Interspersed with these stories are recipes she collected and created throughout her life.
The recipes themselves sounded really good and there were a few of them that I wouldn't mind trying.
I really enjoyed reading Murder in the Kitchen and my only complaint is that there wasn't enough of it. Luckily, this is an excerpt from Toklas' book, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook so I imagine I will be checking that out eventually.
October 26, 2014
Very much for those 'in the know' about Gertrude Stein and her set. Interesting at times and very short but for a book that involves wwii it was fairly dull.
January 9, 2018
This book starts out with a bang - Ms. Toklas presents the notion that every single one of our meals (if we're meat-eaters) begins with a murder. We are then presented with a rather brutal scene, not for the faint-hearted, illustrating exactly that.
This was a thoroughly entertaining book, half travelogue, half recipebook.
It's definitely made me want to pick up the larger book that it was extracted from - "The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook".
If you're into France, cooking, traveling, art, or indeed into life, just go ahead and pick up this tiny volume. It's only 81 pages long but it'll transport both your mind and your senses into another world.
This was a thoroughly entertaining book, half travelogue, half recipebook.
It's definitely made me want to pick up the larger book that it was extracted from - "The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook".
If you're into France, cooking, traveling, art, or indeed into life, just go ahead and pick up this tiny volume. It's only 81 pages long but it'll transport both your mind and your senses into another world.
January 23, 2016
Don't expect a whodunnit, this is all about cooking, touring in France, and a lot of delicious recipes!
As mentioned on the back cover of the book, it is a "memoir-turned-cookbook".
We follow the author, Alice B. Toklas, traveling through France in the first half of the 20th century, with her partner Gertrude Stein.
In the same collection "Great Food", you can find titles as
-"The joys of excess" by Samuel Pepys
-"The pleasures of the table" by Brillat-Savarin
-"The campaign for domestic happiness" by Isabella Beeton
-"From Absinthe to Zest" by Alexandre Dumas
-"Recipes and lessons from a delicious cooking revolution" by Alice Waters
And many more!
As mentioned on the back cover of the book, it is a "memoir-turned-cookbook".
We follow the author, Alice B. Toklas, traveling through France in the first half of the 20th century, with her partner Gertrude Stein.
In the same collection "Great Food", you can find titles as
-"The joys of excess" by Samuel Pepys
-"The pleasures of the table" by Brillat-Savarin
-"The campaign for domestic happiness" by Isabella Beeton
-"From Absinthe to Zest" by Alexandre Dumas
-"Recipes and lessons from a delicious cooking revolution" by Alice Waters
And many more!
August 20, 2016
An interesting book that is part memoir and part recipe book of the author's dining experiences.
Describing life with her partner Gertrude Stein during the years of WWI travelling across France in a broken down truck the author narrates such episodes as creating dishes for Picasso, making "Haschich fudge" and other various exploits.
Told with wit and anecdotes of the day overall it was a fascinating glimpse into cuisine at that time.
Describing life with her partner Gertrude Stein during the years of WWI travelling across France in a broken down truck the author narrates such episodes as creating dishes for Picasso, making "Haschich fudge" and other various exploits.
Told with wit and anecdotes of the day overall it was a fascinating glimpse into cuisine at that time.
December 24, 2012
This memoir cater to all kind of food lovers especially lovers of French food and it is especially suitable for people who doesn't want to be bothered by seductive photos of food and thick pages.This memoir did not have many recipes but all the recipes are worthy to try because they are unique. To sum it up, this is a perfect book to read while commuting to work or lounging at home.
November 13, 2014
Be warned that this is more of a cook book with anecdotes then a story with recipes. However for a food lover such as myself it was a real treat of a quick read on a cold day over a cup of tea. Now to get hold of the gratuitous amount of butter needed for any and all of the recipes!
December 21, 2015
I enjoyed this book a mixture of travel/touring autobiography and of French cooking including some delicious sounding recipes.
I've already tried the mushroom flan and I should mention that the recipes are not for the faint of heart or inexperienced cook.
I've already tried the mushroom flan and I should mention that the recipes are not for the faint of heart or inexperienced cook.
Read
December 4, 2012This little book made want to read the full one.
July 2, 2014
Good recipes but the author's anticotes are dull or just talk down to the reader.
February 19, 2015
An amusing account of life with Gertrude Stein, includes recipes.
October 17, 2015
...as I laid out one by one the sweet young corpses there was no denying one could become accustomed to murdering.
Many times I held the thought to kill a stupid. ..cook
Many times I held the thought to kill a stupid. ..cook
September 12, 2016
You think it's a memoir, but in the end it's only about her and Stein always eating in the best restaurants on their trips.
August 5, 2019
So this is an excerpt from The Alice B Toklas Cookbook and it along with some other titles from the Great Food series has been sitting on my bookshelf for far too long. I was inspired to read this by the Classicsathon hosted by Lucythereader on Youtube.
And I really enjoyed it. It makes me want to find the full book and read it not for the recipes but for the memoir aspect. I love how Toklas refers to Gertrude Stein by her full name. And I want to know about these two fierce ladies driving around France during the First World War delivering supplies to French hospitals.
I don't think I'd try any of the recipes but I thoroughly enjoyed Toklas' writing style to make up for that. It's definitely an entertaining read.
And I really enjoyed it. It makes me want to find the full book and read it not for the recipes but for the memoir aspect. I love how Toklas refers to Gertrude Stein by her full name. And I want to know about these two fierce ladies driving around France during the First World War delivering supplies to French hospitals.
I don't think I'd try any of the recipes but I thoroughly enjoyed Toklas' writing style to make up for that. It's definitely an entertaining read.
March 29, 2019
Good fun. Most recipes more complicated than I'm willing to do, but we end with the famous hashish "brownies". The complete book has been on my read-me shelf for a long time. It will go to the head of the queue.
October 14, 2024
Pure joy
December 30, 2024
An interesting little read as an add on to my current fixation of the fascinating female writers of the 1920's Paris era.
January 1, 2026
My bad I just hate french food
May 19, 2026
This was a lovely little excursion through the lives of Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude stein, but i would have liked more, so i shall go in search of their more substantial works.
July 12, 2025
Finally, I finished Murder in the Kitchen, which is an appetizingly amazing piece of prose.
Alice’s humor shines through in every line.
Although it was written during the war, Gertrude and Alice still managed to find joy in their lives.
One especially remarkable point is that she didn’t write about the taste of the food—she simply included the recipes, described the wonderful experiences she had, and gave vivid portraits of the chefs, proprietors, and hotels.
Furthermore, although Gertrude and Alice were in a romantic relationship, she still refers to her as “Gertrude Stein” in the book.
The way she calls her by her full name reminds me just how deeply she loved her—though she never said it directly.
She expressed her love in a slightly twisted, indirect way, and that makes it all the more heartwarming.
Alice’s humor shines through in every line.
Although it was written during the war, Gertrude and Alice still managed to find joy in their lives.
One especially remarkable point is that she didn’t write about the taste of the food—she simply included the recipes, described the wonderful experiences she had, and gave vivid portraits of the chefs, proprietors, and hotels.
Furthermore, although Gertrude and Alice were in a romantic relationship, she still refers to her as “Gertrude Stein” in the book.
The way she calls her by her full name reminds me just how deeply she loved her—though she never said it directly.
She expressed her love in a slightly twisted, indirect way, and that makes it all the more heartwarming.
April 6, 2017
What a lovely little read! Not much to say about it other than 'heartwarming and funny', really. I enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews