VIARD, Alexandre or André.

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Le cuisinier impérial, Scarce first edition of this essential culinary encyclopaedia, the most popular work published by a professional cook in the 19th century. Viard, a worthy competitor to Carême in terms of celebrity, dedicated his book to the famed gourmand and restaurant reviewer Grimod de La Reynière, praising Grimod and his fellow food enthusiasts for having elevated culinary discourse."To judge from his practical knowledge, Viard must have been a professional cook at one time [thought to have been chef de cuisine to Louis Philippe, comte de Ségur and Francis Egerton, 8th Earl of Bridgewater], but he described himself simply as an homme de bouche (food expert), probably someone in charge of catering for a large household. Despite his book's impressive title, Viard declared he was writing for 'all levels of fortune' in this egalitarian society of citoyens, and indeed the polished text includes such basics as pea soup, quick-cooked rabbit, and salt cod provençale. At a higher level, he was the first cook to describe the classic, puffy soufflé, flavoured with chestnuts, frangipane, white coffee, vanilla, or potato (still a novelty), that became such a symbol of France. The book did well, even when the restoration of the French monarchy required a hasty title change to Le cuisinier royale and the 'year of revolutions' in 1848 precipitated another change, this time to Le cuisinier national... only to revert to impérial once more under Emperor Napoleon III. The text, too, u

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