The Passionate Epicure

In The Passionate Epicure, Marcel Rouff introduces Dodin-Bouffant, an enlightened gentleman dedicated to the high arts: the art of food and the art of love. "Art is the understanding of beauty through the senses, through all the senses, and in order to understand the dream of a Vinci, or the inner life of a Bach, one must, I repeat, be capable of adoring the scented and fugitive soul of a passionate wine, " he says at the funeral of his genius cook. Upon her demise, he sets out to find a replacement worthy of feeding the "Master, " as he is aptly known. The search involves Dodin in a series of conflicts between his culinary and amatory sensibilities.

Distinguished by a graceful translation, charming line drawings, and provocative menus, this unusual book contains everything from passionate and entertaining narrative to mouthwatering descriptions of food, making it a culinary enticement for anyone who likes to eat, drink, and be merry.