Rogues, Writers & Whores: Dining with the Rich and Infamous
Daniel Rogov, , illus. by Yael Hershberg. . Toby, $24.95 (335pp) ISBN 978-1-59264-172-7
The title is not the only thing saucy in this rich collection that matches 69 brief, punchy biographies of historical foodies with the recipes for which they are associated. Several of the subjects are, themselves, the essence of sauce. There's Louis de Bachameil, for whom the famous French concoction was named; the mysterious Suzette, she of the flaming crepe; and tart-baker Franz Sacher, "a fun-loving man who consumed enormous amounts of his own pastries." Among the rogues' gallery, Lucrezia Borgia had a leek tart named for her on her wedding day (though the food taster probably had the first bite) and the Marquis de Sade enjoyed not whipped cream but rather, Partridge à la Burgundy, brutally stuffed with grapes, chorizo and prosciutto. Though some concoctions prove complex, the writing throughout is refreshingly free of pretense. Rogov, the wine and restaurant critic for the Israeli newspaper
Reviewed on: 02/05/2007
Genre: Nonfiction