Bidspirit auction | ESCOFFIER AUGUSTE: (1846-1935) Escoffier prepares

ESCOFFIER AUGUSTE: (1846-1935) Escoffier prepares menus for private dinners at the Carlton Hotel - ESCOFFIER AUGUSTE: (1846-1935) French chef and restaurateur who popularised and updated traditional French cooking methods. A.L.S., A. Escoffier , four pages, 8vo, Pall Mall, London, 2nd June 1903, to ´Mon cher Charles´ , on the printed bifolium stationery of the Carlton Hotel, in French. Escoffier commences his letter by expressing his sympathy on receiving news of the illness of a Monsieur Clerin, remarking ´J´ai l´espoir qui pourra se remettre bientôt, je le désire bien sincèrement car c´est un charmant homme´ (Translation: ´I hope that he will be able to recover soon, I sincerely hope so for he is a charming man´ ) and continues to write of a former assistant from the Savoy Hotel, ´ Voila 7 ans que l´huillery (?) était au Savoy hotel avec moi il était jeune encore je suppose que depuis lors il a du se fortifier, il était déjà assez débrouillard, tout dernierement il m´a demandé un certificat de son séjour au Savoy. Je lui ai fait remettre le certificat comme Chef mais en réalité il n´était pas chef garde-manger mais ceci n´est pas une raison pour ne pas remplir aujourd´hui une place de Chef. Vous devez être en possession de ses divers certificats et des places qu´il a occupé depuis son départ du Savoy hotel, car je l´ai tout à fait perdu de vue et j´ignore ce qu´il a fait depuis qu´il m´a quitté. Sauf cette dernière saison où il était à Monte Carlo au Café Riche´ (Translation: ´It has been 7 years since Huillery (?) was at the Savoy Hotel with me, he was still young, I suppose that since then he must have grown stronger, he was already quite resourceful, most recently he asked me for a certificate of his stay at the Savoy. I gave him the certificate as Chef but in reality he wasn't the head of the larder but that's no reason not to fill a position as Chef. You must be in possession of his various certificates and the positions he has occupied since his departure from the Savoy Hotel, because I have quite lost sight of him and I do not know what he has done since he left me. Except for this last season when he was in Monte Carlo at the Café Riche´ ). In a postscript Escoffier states that he has sent some pickles and chutney to the director of the Hotel Nassau. Together with four autograph drafts of menus prepared by Escoffier for private dinners, each on 8vo sheets of notepaper, listing various dishes including Consomme Rossini, Saumon Royale, Baron d´agneau de Pauillac, Poularde poelee, Salade d´Orange, Souffle au Parmesan, Fraises Melba etc., two of them annotated and dated (1907 & 1908) in blue indelible pencil in another hand, giving details of the name of the host etc., and several with details of the cost (12s 6d) per cover etc. Also including two further autograph menus in an unidentified hand, although evidently prepared under Escoffier´s guidance, each on 4to sheets of printed stationery from the Carlton Hotel, the first for a dinner for eighteen guests hosted by W. C. Palmer Esq. on 3rd February 1908 and including Timbale de Filets de Sole Carlton, Pate de foie gras de Strasbourg, Peches Melba etc., and the second for a dinner for nineteen guests hosted by Colonel Leishman on 5th February 1908 and including Hors d´oeuvre Russe, Baron d´agneau de lait Bordelaise, Becasses Chasseur, Souffle aux Poires la Bohemienne etc. A rare and interesting group of menus displaying Escoffier´s culinary mastery. Some light age wear and a few minor rust stains, generally VG, 7 Escoffier was employed at London´s Savoy Hotel from 1890-98, during which time he created many famous dishes. In 1899 Escoffier found himself establishing the kitchens and recruiting chefs for the new Carlton Hotel in London. The chef would continue to be associated with the Carlton Hotel until his retirement in 1920.