Les Plaisirs de la Table

NIGNON, Édouard

Les Plaisirs de la table, où sous une forme nouvelle, l'auteur a dévoilé maints délicieux secrets et recettes de bonne cuisine, transcrits les précieux avis de gourmets fameux et de fins gastronomes, conseillers aimables et sûrs en l'art de bien manger.

Paris : Chez l'Auteur, 3, Place de la Madeleine 1930. Second edition, first published 1926. printed by . Preface by Robert de Flers, illustration by P F Grignon.

Quarto (235x195mm mm) 'Art Deco' decorative salmon red, black and gilt embossed heavy card wrappers, yapp edges [4],viii,339,[5]pp. Limited edition #34 of 105 on Madagascar.  In French. Unopened; wrappers lightly soiled, spine slightly darker; light foxing throughout the tight text block; front hinge slightly worn.   A nice solid, good to very good early printing on superior paper.

The title translates as "The pleasures of the table, where the author uses a new form to reveal many delicious secrets and recipes of fine cuisine, transcribing precious advice of famous gourmets and fine gastronomes, kind and confident counsellors of the art of fine dining".

Nignon worked in Austria, Russia and at the Hotel Claridges in London before buying Restaurant Larue in Paris in 1908.  A contemporary of Escoffier, Nignon was not as well known to the general public, but is now regarded by many chefs as one of the founders of modern French cuisine; influencing many of the chefs credited with establishing 'Nouvelle Cuisine' in the 1980s, with his ideas of lighter sauces, lighter seasoning and unusual or adventurous combinations of ingredients.

The author of the preface, Robert de Flers [1872-1927] was a playwright, opera librettist and journalist.  A friend of Marcel Proust, in his final years (when the preface was written) he was the Literary Editor of Le Figaro.

A lovely copy.  Uncommon generally and especially outside of France.

§  OCLC records copies in the USA, the UK and Europe but none in Australia. 
§  cf Oberlé Fastes, 278, earlier printing; Bitting p.343;