When You Have Sold a Picture or Two

I had just commenced my cooking career but was already reading cookbooks voraciously, and every chef’s office held a curious volume, Le Repertoire de la Cuisine, by one Louis Saulnier. I still have a copy somewhere. This small volume was a Casaubon-like attempt to codify the whole of French classical cooking, listing every combination of sauce, garnish and ingredient that was ever considered worthy of serving in a classical kitchen. There were countless recipes (of the curtest possible kind) for potatoes, chicken with truffles and foie gras, and sole.