Paper Palate

A French classic written by Madame Saint-Ange in 1927 has just been translated into English for the first time. An ambitious project by Paul Aratow, the co-founder of Chez Panisse, was taken on solely because of his love and passion for this book. His translations were the basis for the menu at Chez Panisse.

Written for the French home cook, this book has 1300 recipes, some of which span pages providing details on prepping and cooking technique. Madame Saint-Ange teaches you the technique behind the recipe. It is a wonderment how she “speaks” to the reader making the recipes even more interesting to read. I find myself reading and rereading the recipes to learn more details. I was repeatedly amazed by the relevance of the information and the timelessness of the recipes. I had to keep reminding myself that this book was written almost 80 years ago.

Madame starts off with equipment, cooking vocabulary and techniques, before proceeding to the essential jus and sauce chapter, which any French-minded cook will refer to again and again. The remainder of the book is set up traditionally - from fish to dessert and pastries and concludes with a list of seasonal menus. There is a detailed index plus an index of French recipe titles.

Every serious cook should add this book to their collection but don’t let it just sit there. This book demands to be read and put to frequent use. My copy is quickly becoming worn!