This gorgeously illustrated volume began as notes on the collection of cookbooks and culinary images gathered by renowned cookbook author Anne Willan and her husband Mark Cherniavsky. From the spiced sauces of medieval times to the massive roasts and ragoûts of Louis XIV's court to elegant eighteenth-century chilled desserts, The Cookbook Library draws from renowned cookbook author Anne Willan's and her husband Mark Cherniavsky's antiquarian cookbook library to guide readers through four centuries of European and early American cuisine. As the authors taste their way through the centuries, describing how each cookbook reflects its time, Willan illuminates culinary crosscurrents among the cuisines of England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. A deeply personal labor of love, The Cookbook Library traces the history of the recipe and includes some of their favorites.
Anne Willan has had an extraordinary career in the culinary arts and is recognized as one of the world's preeminent authorities on French cooking. She founded École de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris in 1975.
Anne has more than 50 years of experience as a teacher, cookbook author, culinary historian and food columnist. She has written more than 30 books, including the influential La Varenne Pratique (soon to be released as an e-book, and the 17-volume photo-illustrated Look and Cook series, showcased in her 26-part PBS program. Anne's reach, with books published in 17 countries and translated into two dozen languages, makes her one of the most internationally renowned of today's cooking authorities. Much in demand as a teacher, Anne has given cooking demonstrations and lectures throughout North America as well as in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile, and appeared often on The Martha Stewart Show.
Anne's newest book: The Cookbook Library: The Cooks, Writers, and Recipes That Made the Modern Cookbook, was released in April 2012 by University of California Press. The book is based on Anne and her husband Mark Cherniavsky's extensive antiquarian cookbook collection. Other recent works include The Country Cooking of France (Chronicle Books, 2007), which won two 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Awards. Anne is currently working on a memoir, to be released in Fall 2013 by St. Martin's Press.
Born in Newcastle, England, Anne received her master's degree from Cambridge University, then studied and taught cooking in London and Paris before moving to the United States (she has been a U.S. citizen since 1973). Early in her career Anne was an associate editor of Gourmet and food editor of the Washington Star newspaper. She wrote a food column for the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Media Services International from 1994-2010. Anne was elected to the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America in 1986 and was honored in 1995 both as Grande Dame of Les Dames d'Escoffier International and with the Silver Spoon Award from Food Arts magazine. In 1999, the International Association of Culinary Profes¬sionals recognized Anne with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement award, while in Australia she was elected to the World Food Media Hall of Fame. In 2000, Bon Appétit named Anne Teacher of the Year and the Philadelphia Book and Cook Festival honored her with their Toque Award.
Anne is currently an honorary trustee of the International Association of Culinary Professionals' Culinary Trust and serves on the Advisory Council of The Julia Child Foundation. She was President of the IACP from 1990-1991 and Treasurer of the IACP Foundation from 1999 to 2003.
Anne divides her time between Santa Monica, California and France. For more information about Anne, her books, and La Varenne, please visit www.lavarenne.com. Follow Anne on Twitter @AnneWillan.
Photo Credit © Siri Berting
