Happy Valentines Day!

Venus in the Kitchen or Love's Cookery Book by Pilaff Bey, Edited by Norman Douglas, Introduction by Graham Greene with decorations by Bruce Roberts and frontispiece by D.H. Lawrence; Heinemann 1952, pp. xiii,192. This cookbook apparently took 12 years to write. It has 50 plus recipes all of which were written before 1936. The idea for the book was intended for a small group of friends who wanted to preserve... or maintain their vitality of their younger and middle age years. After some discussion and many bottles of wine, that always happens, a recipe book was suggested. More of the story goes... Pilaff Bey, a "friend" of Norman Douglas who many assume was Douglas himself, met D.H. Lawrence, an English painter, in the South of France. Bey told him the idea behind the collection of recipes. D.H. Lawrence was so keen about the idea he drew the frontispiece for the book.

Some of the recipes claim to have aphrodisiac benefits but how can one really claim that. Even the author wasn't sure. There are recipes to which are described as "delectable absurdities". Testicles of lamb, sparrows brains, crane and savoury tongue. I think I will just stick to the filet of sole, paprika chicken, quince jelly and sorbet of champagne. I did find out that in fact Pilaff Bey was indeed Norman Douglas and Douglas wrote the book with publisher and bookseller, Giuseppe "Pino" Orioli. I bought this cookbook for outlandish reasons. It is an oddity. Pure and simple. An interesting cookbook to add to my growing collection. Happy Valentines Day! - jw