Larousse Gastronomique

[yakima]

By Prosper Montagne, Published 1938, in French only. Foreword by A. Escoffier. English translation 1961, 7th printing 1966. Organized alphabetically, like a glossary. Words, places, recipes. English edition has an index in French only. 1099 pages, about 7 pounds.

Fascinating, surprisingly good photographs. Unwieldy in the sense that you have to know what you are looking for, and the recipes are not set out as in modern style; they are just straight text, a paragraph or two.

Acceptable condition copies are available on Thriftbooks for about $55 plus tax and shipping. Mine, estate sale, with cover jacket, $2.00. I did not even wait for half-price day!

Excellent for novel style readers. If SheilaAnn does not have it she should.

Due to the seemingly continuous acquisition of books, added 3 more bookcases from another estate sale, $25.00. Cheap, but decent looking.

[Mosca]

That sounds like it would be in a photograph in a dictionary next to the word “tome”!

[Michael_in_TX]

I actually think I have seen this book. My sister may have it. She's a Lenotre graduate and teaches culinary arts at one of our local community colleges and I think it is in her library. Like Mosca said, it is huge.

[SheilaAnn]

yakima girl, please.... I have at least 3 or 4. My oldest one is from the 60's. I love seeing the evolution of ingredients, etc. When I get home I will list my editions.

[yakima]

Cool.

[SheilaAnn]

Top to bottom
1961 -Crown
1966 - Hamlyn
1977 - Hamlyn
1977 - Crown

[Michael_in_TX]

Yep, my sister has this book. I recognize the title as being on her shelf.

[yakima]

Anyone know why 2 editions in 1977? Seems odd.
There have been more recent editions too.

[SheilaAnn]

yakima Two different publishers, that’s why I have the names next to the dates. There are recent editions, but I can’t say how recent without asking the inter webs.

[yakima]

So I thought it would be fun, or at least interesting, to track down the current edition status, and turned to Wikipedia. As to English editions (not printings), they say:
1961 Crown (publisher(
1988 Crown 2nd Edition
1998 Crown New American Edition
2001 Clarkson Potter 3rd English Edition I don't understand how it can be 3rd, after New American)
2009 Clarkson Potter 4th English Edition

However, the footnotes for their sources seem somewhat contradictory. In any event, 2009 seems to be the latest edition. One could wander into the labyrinth of Larousse books for sale and try to track down printings of the various editions, but it won't be me. Mine is the 1966 7th printing of the 1961 edition.

IMO, the closer the copy is to the first English edition, the more representative it will be of the original French edition.