Francois pierre de la varenne

Francois pierre de la varenne is the founder of French classical cooking. Ever since it appeared in 1651, critics have both acclaimed and belittled his book Le Cuisinier françois, but no one has questioned its importance. Very few new cookbooks appeared in France in the 1500’s and Le Cuisinier françois was the first work of lasting influence since the times of Taillevent. As André Simon noted, the book ran to 30 editions in 75 years and became “the treasured possession of most French households of any distinction for close on a century.” The reason for its success is simple: Le Cuisinier françois was the first book to record the immense advance which French cooking had made under the civilizing influence of Renaissance values and court styles.