Clementine in the Kitchen

by Samuel V. Chamberlain

Book Overview

"French cooking for Americans was never the same after Cl mentine came into our kitchens . . . she not only charmed us but this tale of a cook taught us that we, too, could turn out a splendid... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375756647
• ISBN13: 9780375756641
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Modern Library
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A gastronomic treasure indeed

Beautifully written and illustrated and new. I could care less whether or not Clementine actually existed. I bought this edition expecting it to be a true reprint of what was, until I lost it, my favorite cookbook of all time, the 1963 edition. That edition had the best, absolutely the best, recipe for Boeuf Bourgignon that I have ever tasted. I followed it exactly and received rave reviews from French guests as well as from Americans. The new edition arrived. To my horror and amazement, the recipe for Boeuf Bourgignon had been fiddled with. Mon Dieu! Why? Was I wrong? I bought a copy of the 1963 edition and a quick comparison showed I wasn't. I've yet to compare other recipes. Perhaps the fiddling has been extensive. Mind you, this new edition is beautifully written and illustrated. I'm glad to have it. But ... the 1963 edition is better. It doesn't look as pretty, but its the book to buy.

A literary and culinary delight

You'll love Clementine,and if you aren't american,and live in the U.S.,you'll relate to Clementine's disorientation in some things (complete meals in a box???,big supermarkets,no separate stores for the meat,the bread,the vegetables??).The recipes are delightful,but,if you are watching how much fat goes in your diet,then don't buy this book to relay on daily basis,there is a lot of bacon,butter and cream in this book!!!.

A sumptuous celebration of French home cooking

Imagine contemporary food/wine lover and author Peter Mayle (A YEAR IN PROVENCE, FRENCH LESSONS) stumbling upon, and subsequently hiring, a fabulous French cook, then writing a book about the experience. This will give you some idea of the flavor of CLEMENTINE IN THE KITCHEN, written by Samuel Chamberlain (under the nom de plume Phineas Beck), and first published in 1943. The Chamberlains - Samuel, wife, son, and daughter - were residents in the French town of Senlis for several years immediately before the outbreak of World War II. Samuel was an American businessman representing a U.S. company. After enduring five successive unsatisfactory cooks, the family discovered Clementine, a miracle worker in the kitchen. Then, brought back to the States by his company in 1939 because of gathering war clouds, Samuel offers to take the unattached Clementine to the Chamberlains' new home in Marblehead, MA. In addition to being about French food and the preparation of it, CLEMENTINE IN THE KITCHEN is a charming narrative of the lady's introduction to things distinctly un-French, including such wonders as the American outdoor barbecue ceremony, supermarkets, hot dogs, whole hams (unknown back home except by the very rich), frozen foods, canned clam juice, breakfast cereals, Coon cheese, and blueberries.A few eternal truths were apparent even 60+ years ago. Two examples:"Sliced American bread in cellophane puzzled Clementine. Those even white slices might be fine for sandwiches of ham and cheese sauteed in butter and covered with a cream sauce, but they didn't have enough substance for her idea of good table bread." Isn't this the truth?! (Such bread does make good peanut butter 'n' jelly sandwiches - though folded over, not cut.)"The wastefulness of American packaging shocked us all... Fully half the weight of our purchases seemed to go into the trash barrel. The economical Clementine began to save paper bags, until the pile became overwhelming." Don't I know it! Sounds like my wife. The book's first 150 pages comprise Samuel's narrative regarding Clementine's initial admission into the household, and her subsequent expatriation to Massachusetts. This section contains a few recipes relevant to the text, and a number of B & W sketches, perhaps pencil/charcoal originals, by the author himself. These sketches are truly marvelous works of art depicting locations described: the family's homes in Senlis and Marblehead, the Senlis main shopping street, a favorite French cafe, Boston's Faneuil Hall Market, shady Marblehead lanes, and many others. The book's final 100 pages is a compilation of Clementine's recipes revised by Samuel's daughter, Narcisse. (Clementine didn't stay with the Chamberlains, for a reason I won't reveal here.)CLEMENTINE IN THE KITCHEN is a must-have addition for anyone interested in food, the time necessary for experimenting with French cooking, and the metabolism to absorb unscathed lots of butter and cream sauces. Unfortunately, I don't have

This gastronomic treasure made me laugh until I cried.

Eloquently written with wit and humor, and peppered with recipes, I was wrapped in epicurian delight as I followed the expatriate Beck family from their idyllic home in pre-World War II France back to the States. Clementine, the family's Cordon Blue chef extraordinaire, introduces the Becks to the joys and adventures of French cuisine. Subsequently returning with them to New England, the indomitable Clementine continues to captivate as she navigates the highs and lows of American gastronomy. As one who reads at least six good meals a day, I consider this book to be one of the very best.