OP: Mets de Provence: Cuisine Provencale

B. Arthaud, ND. Paperback. Very Good Minus. Fifth edition.

Written by Eugene Blancard, a member of France’s Touring Club—a social club for travelers—Mets de Provence: Cuisine Provençale (1926) is a pleasant jaunt through the culinary staples of Provence. Though published as a souvenir to encourage tourism, the focus is entirely on cuisine, from bouillabaisse and escargots to fig “sausages” (dried figs and chopped almonds rolled in sugar, making oblong links).

Our copy, undated, is styled the fifth edition. A gift inscription on the title page is dated 1941. Though bound in fairly flimsy paper, the book is well-cared for, and a previous owner has protected it with tidy wax paper wrappers. The cover illustration is bright and the interior clean and unmarked. Careful handling promises more life to live. As an added bonus, our copy hails from the personal library of cookbook author Paula Wolfert. Her ownership stamp is on the front free endpaper. In French.