OP: Cuisine Minceur

William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York, 1976. Hardcover. Near Fine. Second printing.

Nouvelle cuisine was a movement that emerged in the 1960s, promising a French cuisine dedicated to lighter, fresher, and more nutritious techniques and ingredients. Chef Michel Guerard (1933–2024) was one of its progenitors. In the 1970s, he opened a spa where he developed his own theory of cuisine minceur—”slimming” food.

Like most food people in history, Guerard was forced to acknowledge the unbearable tension between a life dedicated to good eating and drinking and the barometers of “healthy” living. The chef, however, felt equipped to make spa food not only palatable but also pleasurable, a necessity for his own wellbeing, as well as for his new business venture. 

La Grande Cuisine Minceur was first published by Robert Laffont in French in 1976. This English translation appeared the same year—a testament to the author’s authority and the exciting promise of his new culinary philosophy. The “slimming” dishes here appeared positively thrilling to those confronting the severity of various other diet schemes where lobster cakes with truffles, sweetbread and morel mousse, and tomato souffle had no role to play. 

Upon closer viewing, however, we note that the emphasis is on low-fat cooking techniques, like poaching or roasting, and ingredients such as nonfat powdered milk or bouillon. 

Guerard includes ample menu suggestions, indirectly making a point about balance and thoughtful planning as essential for success. He also emphasizes the importance of breakfast and abstaining from alcohol, making a very French acquiescence: “it is important that you drink neither wine nor alcohol; at the most, one glass of light wine at each meal.” 

Near Fine in all regards. The jacket is unclipped and shows only minor shelfwear. Color photograph inserts. Second printing.