La Cuisine Secrets of Modern French Cooking by Raymond Oliver

Raymond Oliver (1909-1990) was one of the best-known figures of the culinary scene in 20th century France. A restaurateur, a trained chef, and a tv personality all wrapped up in one, Raymond believed in the founding principles of French cooking when it came to making meals that were attractive and appealing to both the appetite and the eyes. He favored traditional methods, discounted nouveau riche styling, and concentrated simply on making French cooking accessible to European and American home cooks. 

One of Raymond’s greatest joys was finding old forgotten recipes of past French culture and bringing them to light in more modern ways, therefore his cooking was conventional but also creative. And in marrying the two styles, he created memorable dining experiences in his Michelin star restaurant, Grand Vefour in Paris as well as an appetizing arrangement of recipes in his cookbook La Cuisine, published in French in 1967. 

This is the 1969 American edition of La Cuisine with a translation by Nika Standen Hazelton, who was a culinary wizard and prolific cookbook author in her own right. In an attempt to keep Raymond’s voice as clear and as true to his French style of speaking, Nika only modified his work slightly with editor’s notes throughout so that his recipes could be executed successfully in American kitchens using American cuts of meat and measurements.

This volume consisting of close to 900 pages contains everything home cooks need to know about French food and wine and the techniques required to prepare beautiful meals from scratch in the French way. Considered a technical cookbook riveling that of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Raymond includes here detailed step-by-step photographs, color plates, and tons of colorful advice on all matters relating to eating and cooking well.