The Cordon Bleu Cook Book - Dione Lucas - 1947 Edition

THIS BOOK IS AN ATTEMPT TO HELP OTHERS WHO LOVE GOOD FOOD, TO INSPIRE THEM TO THE LEVEL OF THE CREATIVE ARTIST, SO THAT THEY TOO WILL KNOW THE REAL SATISFACTION THAT COMES FROM DISHES WELL PREPARED. DIONE LUCAS

{HISTORY}

The Cordon Bleu (also known as l'Ecole du Cordon Bleu and the School of the Blue Ribbon) is one of the most well-known educational culinary institutions in the world. First established in Paris in 1880 by Mademoiselle Marthe Distel, it originally started as a series of hands-on cooking lessons for middle-class and upper-class young women. Quickly, its reputation of producing well-prepared, delicious French dishes grew, to the point that chefs and home cooks of all skill levels from all around the world were flocking to Paris to take classes there. 

The first female graduate of l'Ecole du Cordon Bleu was Dione Lucas (1909-1971) who fell in love with cooking so much, that upon completion of her coursework, opened her own Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. It was such a successful endeavor that she next opened London's Cordon Bleu restaurant along with a fellow Bleu alum. When life circumstances took Dione to New York City in the early 1940s, she again opened both a cooking school and a restaurant all in the name of Cordon Bleu.

Like Julia Child's career trajectory, Dione's adventures with food led her to become an expert in the field of preparing and presenting European-style food to eager cooks both stateside and abroad. She hosted her own television show, wrote numerous cookbooks, appeared in ad campaigns, and made public appearances throughout her career.

A culinary dynamo of the 20th century, sadly, Dione's contributions to the industry have been mostly overshadowed publicly by Julia Child. But her London Le Cordon Bleu school is still going strong today along with the Bleu brand who has opened cooking schools in over two dozen countries and graduates thousands of blue ribbon students every year. 

This cookbook was published in 1947, five years after Dione opened her Cordon Bleu school in NYC and features recipes used in her cooking school. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Published in 1947 by Little, Brown and Company

- 322 pages

- 10 chapters total include include Menus; Wine; Utensils; Hors D'Oeuvres; Soups; Fish; Game, Poultry and Meats; Eggs; Vegetables; and Desserts

- Each recipe contains whole, fresh ingredients that are easily attainable and even include popular trendy (by today's standards) ingredients like rice flour 

- Interesting recipes include: Chicken with Lobster and Fried Eggs, Salmon with Eggplant and Mushrooms, Portuguese Soup, Croque Madames, Lions Teeth, Chestnuts with Meringue and Chocolate Cream Puffs

- Illustrated throughout with line drawings by Phoebe Nicol 

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. The dust jacket bears chippy spots along the top and bottom edges. The interior pages are in great shape with just the lightest of food splatters on some pages. A notation about salt is marked in the margin next to the tomato soup recipe.  The spine is tight and all pages are intact. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Measures 5.5" inches (width) x 8.25" inches (length) x 1.25" inches (thick) and weighs 1.4lbs

{FOR THE COLLECTOR}

Dione is a favorite here in the Vintage Kitchen! Find more of her books here and more French cooking books here.