Kitchen Prelude
(Mes Metiers) by PIERRE HAMP Translated from the French by DOROTHY BOLTON (With a printers device) NEW YORK E.P. DUTTON & CO., INC.
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION 1933. 8vo. 193x140mm. 1fep. Half Title. [1] Title page. [1] 1-309. [1] 3feps. Original orange cloth binding with brown writing on the spine. The spine slightly sun bleached. Overall a very nice clean copy of a very scarce book. Not known if it should have a dj.
- Pierre Hamp has written a very interesting book of his life learning to be a Patissier and a main kitchen chef. He started his apprenticeship on Friday 13th November 1891 at M. Arthur Laborde's Patisserie at 13 Rue Demours in the Quartier des Ternes. At the bottom of the pecking order of thirteen apprentices and five cooks, he goes on to describe a very hard life (normal for the time) learning his trade. After his apprenticeship in Paris he moved to London and worked for some time under Escoffier at the Savoy. The blistering pace and hours as an apprentice gave him a highly critical professional sense that comes across in his writing. He also gives unique insights into the characters and personalities of a big Kitchen brigade that are not so different from those of today. Although Hamp is quite critical of Escoffier, one gets a unique sense of the chefs as people he had under his charge. A good read about a bygone age. Chefs reading this will see that many things remain the same, especially the sense of professionalism and pride of good well trained craftsmen.
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Modern category
ref number:
11075