Mastering the Art of French Cooking [Signed Seventh Printing]

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1964. Stylishly signed and inscribed by Julia Child at half-title page: "Best Wishes and Bon Appétit! Julia Child" Very attractive signature contemporaneous with publishing of this volume. Stated at copyright: "Seventh printing, October 1964. Rare directly signed early printing. Patterned fleur-de-lis boards w/turquoise stars, black and white cover and spine titles on orange fields, moderate shelf wear, text block toning. Pages near fine; no writing. Turquoise colored endpapers. Bind fine, hinges intact. Original dust wrapper, moderate edge wear, rub; clipped, protected in new clear sleeve. Very good original single volume edition in same wrapper. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food & long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with over 100 instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because: It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection. It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations bound to increase anyone's culinary repertoire. 684 pages plus 32 page index. Insured post.. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Coryn, Sidonie (Illustrations). 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Book.