Careme

'Magnificent' ANTHONY BOURDAIN 'Irresistible' HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL 'A classic' DAMIAN BARR

Tracing the fairytale-like rise of Antonin Careme from Parisian orphan to a household name synonymous with culinary luxury, Careme offers a below-stairs perspective on one of the most momentous, and sensuous, periods in European history: First Empire Paris, Georgian England, and the Russia of War and Peace.

Careme's ability to intuit the tastes of European royalty was an unendingly useful and astounding tool: he knew the favourite dishes of King George IV, the Rothschilds and the Romanovs; he knew Napoleon's fast-food requirements, and why Empress Josephine suffered halitosis.

Blending the incredible aetiology of Careme's stardom and recipes he curated which once graced the dining tables of monarchs of old and remain classics of French cuisine, Ian Kelly offers a window into a sumptuous world of casseroles and kings.