The Cordon Bleu Cook Book

"The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living." - Dione LucasBefore Julia Child, there was Dione Lucas, an amazing woman who should have a biography about her life. M's Lucas was the first famous television cook, having her own show on CBS in 1949. She was a star student at the Cordon Bleu in the 1930s. She also did something else interesting in the 1930s - she was a hotel chef in Hamburg where she was often called upon to fix Adolph Hitler's favorite meal - stuffed squab*.Along with Rosemary Hume, she founded Le Cordon Bleu in London. In 1942, with the blitz going on in London, she came to New York with her two young sons. (Rosemary Hume kept the school in London going even during the blitz.) There she taught adults as well as children the various intricacies of cooking in the Cordon Bleu way.So what does all that have to do with this brillant book? In 1980, this book received the Hall of Fame Award by the James Beard Foundation. This book was written at a different time, when butter and cream were generously used and enjoyed. Most of us don't eat like that everyday but this book is great for feast day celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries or when you want to make something a little different.)There is "Filet of Sole Veronique" with peeled white grapes. Yes, a time consuming dish to make but well worth the effort - and it is impressive. The "Potage Sange"is exquisite and light years away from what Campbell Soup company sells as potato soup.The chocolate jelly roll cake is widely reguarded as the best dessert in this book, but I beg to differ - the lemon meringue pie is terrific. And of course, chocolate mousse - but none of the recipes are "bad" - I don't like the "crepes Suzette" but I just don't like them, irregardless of who makes them or who wrote the recipe. If you want to make something more special, perhaps a special dinner or dessert for a loved one or yourself, this is a great addition to your cooking library. the instructions are clear and the ingredients are relatively easy to obtain. She even provides a glossary so you can look up such terms as "chaud froid sauce."Buy this and surprise someone - maybe yourself - with something extra special for dinner.*yes, stuffed squab (pigeons!) the recipe is in this book "Petits Poussins A La Hambourg") but she gives the information regarding Hitler in another cookbook of hers "Gourmet Cooking School Cookbook". Apparently Hitler gave up meats and rich pastries because he had stomach problems and not because he was any great animal lover. The symptoms attributed to Hitler sound remarkably to me (okay, I'm not a doctor, but I've had a gallbladder) similiar to gallstones.