DPLG architect misguided in gastronomy for a long time, who held the column of “Le Monde” for two decades, succeeding the sulphurous La Reynière, man of the pen and culture, Jean-Claude Ribaut, who is not unknown to our readers, and to whom we owe in particular a fascinating “Journey of a gourmet to Paris”, gives us today a sort of gourmet testament in the form of an encyclopedic dictionary. It’s called “Gourmet Dictionary of Good Drinking & Eating Well” and it says everything about universal gluttony, from “offal (veal, cow, pig, etc.)” to “noble or commoner fish”, from Alexandre Dumas to Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, from bouillabaisse to sauerkraut, including broccoli, coq au vin, Espelette pepper or hare à la royale. The great chefs, from Yannick Alléno to Guy Savoy and from Alain Ducasse to Alain Passard, without forgetting Charles Barrier, Michel Guérard, the Haeberlin family, Bernard Loiseau, Bernard Pacaud (last apprentice of Mère Brazier) and Joël Robuchon, are the part. Brussels is brilliantly treated, in the style of Montesquieur’s “Persian Letters”. Escoffier and Brillat-Savarin are also present in this large volume of almost 900 pages, which combines history (Marshal Pétain’s last meal at Dumaine’s in Saulieu on the road to Sigmaringen…) with delicacy, wine to the dishes, the great cuisine with household flavors with consistency, richness and brilliance, and which, for €24, constitutes fantastic value for money.
Gourmet dictionary of drinking well & eating well, by Jean-Claude Ribaut (Editions du Rocher, 880 pages, €24)
