Petit bréviaire de la Gourmandise

A lively homage to the culinary arts, this work treats cooking not merely as a craft but as a branch of the fine‑arts, echoing the celebrated claim of the eighteenth‑century chef Carême that pâtisserie crowns architecture. From prehistoric foragers to the grand banquets of the Ancien Régime, the author traces how the table has long served as a social glue, shaping manners, optimism and community.

With a voice that blends erudition and humor, the prose likens sauces to sonatas and spices to poetry, inviting listeners to taste metaphors as vividly as a well‑seasoned broth. The narrative weaves anecdotes about great chefs, memorable feasts, and the sensory geography of mushrooms, oysters and pepper, turning each ingredient into a portal to history and imagination.

A short, richly illustrated essay collection, it offers a fragrant journey through taste, culture and the gentle power of a shared meal, promising an auditory experience as satisfying as a perfectly balanced dish.