Introduction
Alice B. Toklas's cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes. It's a vivid snapshot of life in early 20th century Paris, where art, literature, and cuisine intertwined in the most delightful ways. Toklas, best known as the life partner of writer Gertrude Stein, was at the center of the Parisian avant-garde scene. Their home was a gathering place for luminaries like Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Published in 1954, "The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book" is part memoir, part recipe collection. It offers readers a glimpse into the culinary adventures of an American expat in France, from mastering traditional French dishes to experimenting with more exotic fare. The book gained unexpected notoriety for including a recipe for "haschich fudge," which became popular during the 1960s counterculture movement.
This summary will take you on a journey through Toklas's culinary world, exploring the art of French cooking, entertaining artistic geniuses, and surviving wartime with creativity and humor.
Becoming a Gourmet French Chef
To truly understand French cooking, one must first grasp the deep respect and reverence the French have for their culinary traditions. This attitude extends beyond just food – it's a fundamental aspect of French culture that permeates art, literature, and fashion as well.
Respect for Tradition
French cooking is not about taking shortcuts or finding easier ways to do things. It's about honoring time-tested methods and techniques. As Toklas notes, French cooks "learn nothing, and they forget nothing." This adherence to tradition might seem stubborn to outsiders, but it's a key factor in maintaining the high standards of French cuisine.
Even seemingly simple dishes, like potato salad, come with their own set of rules. Toklas explains that a proper French potato salad must be served surrounded by chicory – no other green will do. If chicory isn't available, the dish simply shouldn't be attempted.
Celebrating Ingredients
French cooking is all about showcasing the unique qualities of each ingredient. Seasonal produce is treated with reverence, and recipes are designed to bring out the best in every component. Even humble vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and leeks are transformed into culinary delights through the judicious use of high-quality olive oil, butter, and herbs.
Speaking of butter, the French are unapologetic about their love for fat. French butter is of exceptional quality, and it's used liberally to enhance flavors and bring dishes together. There's no room for substitutes in French cooking – it's all about embracing the real thing.
A Culinary Partnership
Interestingly, Toklas credits her partner, Gertrude Stein, with helping to develop her culinary skills. While Stein was often too busy to cook herself, she took great pleasure in enjoying and critiquing Alice's creations. This gentle criticism, Toklas suggests, can be a powerful motivator for improving one's cooking skills.
The couple's social circle was equally passionate about food. Toklas recounts a lunch party where the hostess inspected each dish before it was served to guests. When presented with an aspic of foie gras that didn't meet her standards, the hostess dismissed it without hesitation, preferring to serve nothing rather than something subpar.
Perfecting a Quintessential French Dish
Ask a group of French people to name the most quintessential French dish, and you're likely to start a heated debate. The answer often depends on the region they're from and the local specialties they grew up with.
Regional Variations
For someone from Alsace Lorraine in northeastern France, the perfect French dish might be a Quiche de Nancy – a rich, eggy tart filled with cubed ham and cream. A person from Burgundy might argue for bœuf Bourguignon, insisting that it must be made with authentic Burgundy wine. Meanwhile, a native of Marseilles would likely champion bouillabaisse as the ultimate French dish.
Mastering Bouillabaisse
Toklas and Stein became particularly enamored with bouillabaisse during their summers in Provence. Unable to find a satisfactory version in their small town, they would drive 90 kilometers to Marseilles twice a month to satisfy their craving. Eventually, Toklas decided to master the dish herself.
Her recipe for bouillabaisse is a testament to the complexity and attention to detail required in French cooking:
- Use at least five different types of fish, caught and cooked the same day. Options include red snapper, mullet, pike, turbot, dory, and gurnard.
- Prepare a fish stock using the heads of larger fish, along with carrots, onions, bay leaf, and thyme.
- Cook lobster and crab separately.
- Create a vegetable base by frying onions, shallots, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, celery, fennel, and various herbs and spices in olive oil.
- Combine the fish stock with the vegetable mixture and cook the fish in stages, adding clams and crab meat at the end.
- Finish the dish with saffron-infused broth and serve over slices of bread.
Toklas acknowledges that while it's possible to make this dish with Atlantic or even freshwater fish, it won't be a true bouillabaisse. This highlights the importance of using authentic, regional ingredients in French cooking.
Serving Interesting Food to Interesting Guests
One of the joys of Toklas's book is her anecdotes about serving meals to the artistic luminaries of her time. These stories not only provide a glimpse into the social lives of these famous figures but also showcase Toklas's creativity in the kitchen.
Cubist Cuisine
Inspired by her artistic guests, Toklas once decided to create a "Cubist" dish for Pablo Picasso. She poached a fish and decorated it with a colorful arrangement of mayonnaise, tomato paste, sieved egg yolks, and finely chopped herbs. Picasso was impressed but quipped that it should have been served to Henri Matisse instead – a playful jab at his artistic rival.
Picasso was known for his enigmatic comments about food. When presented with a spinach soufflé, he simply remarked, "Cruel enigma."
Avant-Garde Omelettes
Toklas shares a particularly unusual omelette recipe from the French painter Francis Picabia. It involves stirring eight eggs with half a pound of butter over low heat for 30 minutes. The result, according to Picabia, is "a suave consistency that perhaps only gourmets will appreciate."
The Infamous "Haschich Fudge"
Perhaps the most notorious recipe in Toklas's book is for "haschich fudge," contributed by the Beat generation artist Brion Gysin. This early cannabis edible caused quite a stir when the book was published, especially in the United States.
The recipe involves mixing pulverized spices (peppercorns, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg) with cannabis sativa, then combining this mixture with chopped dates, figs, peanuts, and almonds. The concoction is then formed into small balls with melted butter and sugar.
Toklas innocently includes this recipe among other contributions from friends, noting that it's excellent for curing the common cold when consumed with hot mint tea. She advises that two pieces are sufficient for "ecstatic reverie" and even provides tips for growing and harvesting cannabis.
This recipe catapulted Toklas to unexpected fame among the counterculture movement of the 1960s, with her name becoming synonymous with cannabis edibles for decades to come.
Becoming a Conscious Carnivore
Living in France during wartime meant that sometimes, if you wanted meat, you had to be prepared to kill it yourself. Toklas approaches this necessity with a mix of practicality and sensitivity, acknowledging the unpleasantness while also appreciating the connection it creates between the cook and their food.
The Spirited Carp
Toklas's first experience with dispatching an animal came in the form of a lively carp, delivered by a fisherman in too much of a hurry to explain how to kill it. After realizing that the fish was too vigorous to be stunned with a blow to the head, Toklas resorted to severing its spinal cord with a sharp knife.
The experience was clearly unsettling for her – she needed several cigarettes to recover her composure. However, she didn't let it go to waste. She prepared the carp with a chestnut stuffing, demonstrating how even a traumatic experience can be transformed into a gourmet meal.
The Art of Smothering
Later, Toklas learned from one of her cooks that smothering was considered the most humane way to dispatch young pigeons. This method was not only kinder than decapitation but also resulted in more flavorful meat, as the blood was retained in the body.
When gifted six young white doves, Toklas put this method into practice. While she found the experience unpleasant, she also realized that she could become accustomed to it. This highlights the reality of cooking with fresh ingredients in a time and place where pre-butchered meat wasn't always available.
The Simple Dish That Marks a Skilled Cook
As Toklas became more involved in cooking and managing a kitchen, she learned valuable lessons about assessing culinary skill and managing household staff.
The Perfect Omelette Test
When interviewing potential kitchen staff, Toklas discovered that asking them to make an omelette was the perfect test of their abilities. The delicacy and attention to detail required for a good omelette, she believed, indicated a natural instinct for cooking. A cook who could master this seemingly simple dish would likely be able to tackle more complex recipes with ease.
The Social Subtleties of Egg Dishes
Interestingly, Toklas notes that the preparation of egg dishes could be used to convey social messages. An omelette soufflé was appropriate for an honored guest, while a simple herb or mushroom omelette sufficed for a guest to whom the host was indifferent. If a host wished to insult a guest, they might serve fried eggs.
Learning from Colonial Influences
Toklas found that some of the best cooking came from French people who had lived abroad, particularly in France's colonies. She learned many non-European dishes from cooks with diverse backgrounds. For example, her cook Jeanne, who was from Martinique, taught her how to make a delicious coconut marmalade pie.
How to be a Foodie Under Wartime Conditions
Life as an expat in early 20th century Paris was generally idyllic, with cheap living costs and a vibrant artistic community. However, this lifestyle was periodically disrupted by German invasions and two world wars.
World War I: An Adventure
During the First World War, Toklas and Stein volunteered to make deliveries for the American Fund for French Wounded. They drove their Ford Model T, affectionately named Aunt Pauline, around France. Toklas humorously notes that while Stein was a responsible driver, she never quite mastered reversing the car.
World War II: A Test of Resourcefulness
The Second World War found Toklas and Stein older and less adventurous. They retreated to a rural home near Lyon to wait out the conflict. As American Jews in occupied France, they relied heavily on their local community for safety and sustenance.
Money became largely worthless, so they bartered with neighbors for luxuries like coffee and sugar. Their bread ration went entirely to feed their beloved white poodle, Basket.
Stein proved to be particularly adept at navigating the black market. She had a knack for returning from walks with small luxuries like eggs or butter. As she put it, "It's not with money that one buys on the black market, but with one's personality."
Unexpected Houseguests
During the war, Toklas and Stein were occasionally required to house soldiers. Initially, these were German soldiers, whose cooking Toklas dismisses as not worthy of inclusion in a cookbook. Later, they housed Italian soldiers, which proved more agreeable as the Italians had tobacco rations they were willing to trade.
This tobacco was a godsend for Toklas and her friends, who had been resorting to smoking whatever they could find in the garden. One friend had even poisoned themselves trying to smoke fig leaves. For Toklas, the arrival of real tobacco was almost as welcome as the end of the war itself.
The Art of French Cooking: Key Takeaways
Respect for Tradition: French cooking is deeply rooted in tradition. Recipes and techniques are passed down through generations and are followed with almost religious devotion.
Celebration of Ingredients: The French approach to cooking emphasizes the quality and integrity of each ingredient. Seasonal produce is treated with reverence, and even humble vegetables are transformed into culinary delights.
Regional Pride: French cuisine is incredibly diverse, with each region boasting its own specialties and arguing for the superiority of its local dishes.
Attention to Detail: From the precise preparation of a bouillabaisse to the delicate balance of a perfect omelette, French cooking demands meticulous attention to every aspect of the cooking process.
Culinary Creativity: While respecting tradition, French cooks also embrace creativity. Toklas's "Cubist" fish for Picasso is a perfect example of how culinary arts can intersect with other forms of artistic expression.
Social Significance of Food: In French culture, food is more than sustenance – it's a form of communication. The dishes served can convey messages about the relationship between host and guest.
Adaptability: Even in challenging times, such as during wartime, the French find ways to maintain their culinary standards, showcasing their resourcefulness and dedication to good food.
Cultural Exchange: French cuisine has been enriched by influences from its colonies and the experiences of French people living abroad, demonstrating an openness to new flavors and techniques.
Conscious Consumption: Toklas's experiences with dispatching animals for meals highlight a direct connection with food sources that is often lost in modern times.
Joy of Entertaining: Throughout the book, Toklas emphasizes the pleasure of cooking for and dining with friends, illustrating how food brings people together and enhances social experiences.
Final Thoughts
"The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book" is more than just a collection of recipes – it's a window into a fascinating period of cultural history. Through Toklas's eyes, we see how food intersects with art, literature, social dynamics, and even global conflicts.
The book showcases the depth and complexity of French cuisine, from the reverence for traditional techniques to the celebration of regional specialties. It also highlights the creativity and adaptability required to maintain culinary standards even in challenging circumstances.
Perhaps most importantly, Toklas's work reminds us of the joy that can be found in cooking and sharing meals with others. Whether it's experimenting with avant-garde presentations for artistic friends or finding creative ways to make do with wartime rations, food is presented as a source of pleasure, connection, and expression.
For modern readers, the book offers not just culinary inspiration but also a reminder to approach cooking with mindfulness and appreciation. It encourages us to consider the origins of our ingredients, the significance of our culinary traditions, and the power of a shared meal to bring people together.
In an era of fast food and convenience cooking, Toklas's experiences serve as a delicious reminder of the rich rewards that come from taking the time to cook with care, creativity, and love.