Simca's Cuisine

by Simone Beck, Patricia Simón, John Wallner (Illustrator)

Presents recipes and preparation guidelines for the creation of gourmet, French dishes, and menus suitable for casual, formal, and special occasions

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, France, Cooking

326 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Simone "Simca" Beck was a French cookbook author and cooking teacher who, along with colleagues Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, played a significant role in the introduction of French cooking technique and recipes into American kitchens.

Reviews

[Visha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those delightful hardcover cookbooks you'd find in a used book shop; yellowed pages, thick and rough to the touch, the hardcover wallpapered with a simple red and black flower print, a substantial weight to the text. What caught my attention was the acknowledgements, noting Julia Child's partnership with the author for 23 years. Simca (a nickname for Simone Beck) co-wrote the two masterful texts of French cooking (Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I & II) with Julia Child, who is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to Julie and Julia.

This cookbook was a delightful diversion - I love reading old cookbooks (on a full stomach, as a rule), and Simca's Cuisine is full of the kinds of recipes that you just don't encounter anymore: organized within menus for multiple course meals, labeled by their French titles (un menu de panache au champagne - a spectacular dinner with champagne; un menu somptueux pour recevoir Mr. Knopf - a dinner grand and sumptuous), always including a cheese course and massive dessert, portions enough to feed a dinner party, without serving sizes or calorie and fat breakdowns. Includes charming illustrations throughout, as well as sections that tell you how to cook basics (how to boil eggs, make croutons) in a completely non-basic way (yes, there is more than a page devoted to how to perfectly boil an egg).

I love visiting the past, as preserved in cookbooks. There's something so immediate about the distilled "slice of life" that you get from a cookbook that is watered down in novels set in the same time and place. Beck has charming descriptions that accompany her menus, where she talks about scallops having a "distinctive lusty taste of the sea" or reminds the American reader/cook that the differences in fats between American and French ducks are tremendous. This was a charming and, yes, tasty read... next time you're in a used book shop, check out the cooking section - I think you will find something like this to tickle your fancy.

[Monica]

julia's partner in crime...

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mother had an older edition of this book, with a red cover.