Relish: The Extraordinary Life of Alexis Soyer, Victorian Celebrity Chef
Rarely has a man defined the spirit of an age as well as Alexis Soyer, popular hero of the Crimean War. Soyer designed the famous kitchens of the Reform Club, which he filled with ingenious inventions such as the gas stove. He devised the sauces that would make household names of Mr Crosse and Mr Blackwell and he set up revolutionary soup kitchens during the Irish potato famine. Later in his career, he travelled to the Crimea where he transformed army catering, saving many soldiers from...
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Rarely has a man defined the spirit of an age as well as Alexis Soyer. A celebrity chef, bestselling author, entrepreneur, inventor, and Crimean war hero, Soyer built the world famous kitchens of London's Reform Club and filled them with such ingenious inventions as the gas stove and steam lifts. In the 1840s he established soup kitchens during the Irish potato famine—a revolutionary concept at the time—and in the following decade risked his life by traveling to the Russian peninsula to reform army catering for the troops, saving thousands of soldiers from the effects of malnutrition. But Soyer—in the spirit of his age—was also a secret womanizer, near bankrupt, and an alcoholic. Despite the fame of his lifetime, Soyer dropped completely from the public eye after his untimely death. His friend Florence Nightingale, never one to praise lightly, wrote that his passing was "a great disaster for the nation." Despite making several fortunes Soyer died penniless. His personal papers were destroyed, his funeral a hushed-up affair, and today his grave lies neglected and rotting. This is the story of one of the Victorian age’s most favored—and soon forgotten—shining stars.
List of Illustrations viPrologue: 'To Her' 1'The enfant terrible of Montmartre' 5'A mere cook' 17'The glory of the edifice' 31'The messenger of death' 52'Cherie, Cherie, Cerrito!' 69'Cook and dress ten ears ...' 88'A broth of a boy' 108'Our eyes sparkle and our palates yearn' 135'Sir Oracle' 153'The world his Club, his guests are universal' 176'Its halls once more glitter' 200'Vexation, disappointment and loss' 232'Pro bono publico' 253'Captain Cook' 282'He has no successor' 310Epilogue 323Acknowledgements 326Bibliography 329Index 333
