MASSIALOT.   FRANCOIS     - With the bookplate of Anton Mosimann
NOUVELLE INSTRUCTION POUR LES CONFITURES,
LES LIQUEURS, ET LES FRUITS; Ou l’on apprend a’ confire toutes; sortes de Fruits, tant secs que liquides; & divers ouvrages de Sucre qui sont du fait des Officiers & Confiseurs; avec la maniere de bien ordonner un Fruit. Suit du Nouveau Cuisinier Royal & Bourgeois, egalement utile aux Maitres d’Hotels & dans les Familles, pour scavoir ce qu’on sert de plus a’la mode dans les Repas. NOUVELLE EDITION. Revue, corrigee, & beaucoup augmentee, Avec de nouveaux Desseins de Tables. (Printer’s device) Du Fonds de Cl. Prudhomme. A PARIS, AUPALAIS, Chez SAUGRAIN Fils, Grand’ Salle, du cote’ de la Cour des Aydes, a’la Providence. M.DCC.XL. AVEC PRIVILEGE DU ROY. (With some Ms. writing not affecting the printed text).
12mo. Marbled paste-down and end-paper. [1] 1fep. Title page. [1] 6pp Preface. 4pp Table des Chapitures. 4pp Approbation. (1)2-518. 36pp Table des Matieres. 6pp Catalogue des Livres. Fep possibly lacking. Marbled paste-down and end-paper. With two folding plates of table settings with sweets displayed. Contemporary full dark brown speckled calf with raised bands and elaborate French gilt tooling in the compartments. With a black label with gilt border and writing. The corners of the boards slightly rubbed. With a nice patina. Internally very clean. A nice copy.
- François Massialot, born in Limoges, 1660, died in Paris, 1733. He was a French chef who served as chef de cuisine (officier de bouche) to various illustrious personages, including Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the brother of Louis XIV, and his son Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was first duc de Chartres then the Regent, as well as the duc d'Aumont, the Cardinal d’Estrées, and the marquis de Louvois. His ‘Nouveau Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois’ first appeared, anonymously, as a single volume in 1691. His other cookbook, ‘Nouvelle Instruction pour les Confitures, les Liqueurs et les Fruits’ appeared, also anonymously, in 1692, and reprinted several times in the eighteenth century. Massialot describes himself in his preface as "a cook who dares to qualify himself royal",... and it is not without cause, for the meals which he describes..."have all been served at court or in the houses of princes, and of people of the first rank." An innovation in Massialot's book was the alphabetical listing of recipes, a step toward the first culinary dictionary. Meringues make their first appearance under their familiar name with Massialot, who is also credited with Crême Brulée, in which the sugar topping was melted and burnt with a special dedicated red-hot fire iron. Another first with Massialot is two recipes in which chocolate is an ingredient: in a sauce for wigeon and in a sweet custard. Until then, chocolate was consumed solely as a drink. Massialot's works were translated into English as ‘The Court and Country Cook' 1702, and were often reprinted.

click on image to enlarge
Information

Antiquarian category
ref number: 11103