Menon.   Louis Francois Henri de     - In superb condition - as new.
The French Family Cook
BEING A complete System of French Cookery. Adapted to the Tables not only of the Opulent, but of Persons of moderate Fortune and Condition. CONTAINING Directions for choosing, dressing, and serving up all Sorts of Butcher Meat, Poultry, &c. The different Modes of making all kinds of Soups, Ragouts, Fricandeaus, Creams, Ratasias, Compots, Preserves, &c.&c. as well as a great Variety of cheap and elegant Side Dishes, calculated to grace a Table at a small Expence. Neccesary for Housekeepers, Butlers, Cooks, and all who are concerned in the Superintendence of a Family. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH. LONDON: Printed for J. BELL, No. 148, Oxford Street, nearly opposite New Bond Street. M.DCC.XCIII.
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION 1793. 8vo. 2feps. Title Page. [1] 6pp Bills of Fare. (1)iv-xxiv Contents. (1)2-342. 2pp Advertisements. Fully bound in modern mid-brown calf, with 18th century style blind tooled panelled fillet on the boards with blind tooled line borders. Spine with raised bands and gilt lines, red label with gilt lettering. Internally extremely clean, as new. A rare item especially in this immaculate condition.
- Although no author is named on the title page, this is the first English translation of Menon's - La Cuisiniere Bourgeoise, originally written in French, and published in Paris, 1746. Maclean notes a 4th edition of 1796 with an altered main title, although sub-titles unchanged. Menon's books excite a lot of interest but nothing was known of him, till very recently; Sophie of Sophie Schneideman Rare Books had an early two volume set of 'La Cuisiniere Bourgeoise' dated 1752. This set was the author’s own copy, signed on the first page. It was the copy from the Chateau de Villiers library according to small pen inscriptions on each title and tiny stamps on the first blanks. The first blank of the first volume bears the remarkable history of the book, written in ink in 1875. The story it relates is that the first owner of the book was Mrs. Menon. It next passed to Margueritte Menon, her daughter, who was married to Claude Dodant. The next recepient of the set was Anne Dodant, wife of Henri de Villemenard. Their son Charles de Villemenard next owned it, there-after going to to Marie de Villemenard and finally to the author of the note, Villiers. The note is initialed and dated. Interesting; this is now the most up-to-date information on Menon. Perhaps with this little bit, further relevant information can be garnered in the future. His books in French and English are much sought after and constitute an important addition to any cookery book collection.

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Antiquarian category
ref number: 10940