Carême
The First Celebrity Chef
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publishing:8th May '25
£10.99
This title is due to be published on 8th May, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Taking readers on a chef’s tour of Regency-Era Europe fit for royalty, Carêmeweaves together recipes and biography to unveil the life of the first celebrity chef: Antonin Carême.
Tracing the fairytale-like rise of Antonin Carême from Parisian orphan to a household name synonymous with culinary luxury, Carême offers a below-stairs perspective on one of the most momentous, and sensuous, periods in European history: First Empire Paris, Georgian England, and the Russia of War and Peace.
Carême’s ability to intuit the tastes of European royalty was an unendingly useful and astounding tool: he knew the favourite dishes of King George IV, the Rothschilds and the Romanovs; he knew Napoleon's fast-food requirements, and why Empress Josephine suffered halitosis.
Blending the incredible aetiology of Carême’s stardom and recipes he curated which once graced the dining tables of monarchs of old and remain classics of French cuisine, Ian Kelly offers a window into a sumptuous world of casseroles and kings.
A magnificent work. Ian Kelly is at the vanguard of the new rock’n’roll of culinary literature -- Anthony Bourdain
I was really truly bowled over -- Giles Coren
Delicious * Mail on Sunday *
Absolutely irresistible -- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
In this well-researched book, Ian Kelly deftly recounts the exploits of this remarkable man -- Jacques Pépin
Ian Kelly brings Carême's restless spirit back to life along with a tableau of la grande cuisine two hundred years ago -- Anne Willan, founder of École de Cuisine La Varenne
Ian Kelly has done a wonderful job, not only of depicting Carême's culinary genius beautifully but of introducing us to his extraordinary personal life as well. I enjoyed reading this book immensely and recommend it to culinary historians and food buffs everywhere -- Daniel Boulud, founder of Café Boulud
Ian Kelly's valuable and pleasurable addition to the literature of food combines an eye for the richness of historic detail with a solid sense of culinary crafts. While stimulating our palates, it breathes a life into a critical period in the building of modern Europe -- Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod, Salt and Milk
ISBN: 9781526689771
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
288 pages