Le Cuisinier François

This website accompanies my ongoing research thesis, which investigates the influence of Italian cuisine on 17th-century French culinary practices, with a focus on François Pierre de La Varenne’s groundbreaking cookbook Le Cuisinier François (1651). As one of the first modern French cookbooks, Le Cuisinier François helped mark a shift away from medieval cooking techniques, establishing the foundations of classic French cuisine as we know it today.

This website provides selected recipes from La Varenne’s work, transcribed in both French and English, along with insights into how these recipes reflect the broader culinary exchanges between Italy and France during this period.