The Epicurean: A Complete Treatise of Analytical and Practical Studies on the Culinary Art

2011 Reprint of 1920 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Originally published in 1894 in two volumes, ours is the 1920 Edition complete in one volume. This was a landmark publication, the culmination of a remarkable career. It was considered “one of the most complete treatises of the kind ever published,” wrote the New York Times at the time of Ranhofer’s death. A wonderful trove of culinary instruction, the work also stands as a historical treasure, recording the kaleidoscope of choice dishes, elaborate presentations, and celebrated occasions over which Ranhofer and Delmonico’s presided. The publication of the book resulted in a flood of attention by newspapers to the workings of New York restaurants and the techniques of the chefs who ran them. Ranhofer, when interviewed on the subject, listed the most important points of running a kitchen of forty-five chefs. Not only must the dinner be well cooked, “it must be equally well displayed.” He prepared all the soups himself, considering them the mark of a restaurant’s reputation. The waiters as well as the chefs needed to know how to time the courses. And he pointed out that it was not necessarily the most expensive dishes that were the best. Profusely illustrated with 800 Illustrations.