Kisses, bon appétit: culinary poems à la carte

At the crossroads of regional gastronomy, popular imagery, and everyday poetry, “Emilie Bernard’s Poetic Recipes” resurrects a cult series of illustrated postcards from the 1960s and 70s. A true collective Proustian madeleine, Matthieu Nicol has gathered in this collection, for the first time, 167 carefully photographed recipe cards… written in alexandrine verse. Forgotten by anthologies but omnipresent in French homes of the time, Émilie Bernard is undoubtedly the most widely read poet of her generation. With her simple and flavorful verses, she celebrated daube, far breton, and sauerkraut during the Trente Glorieuses (the thirty glorious years of post-war economic boom). In collaboration with the Appollot studio, she has created a visual and culinary heritage that is at once kitsch, touching, and joyfully old-fashioned. Driven by meticulous research and passionate editorial work, this book is a tribute to everyday gestures, culinary traditions, local produce, but also to the history of popular imagery and the subtle humor of an era. It will appeal to collectors, gourmets, poetry lovers, and enthusiasts of popular culture alike. A book to savor like a fine meal: with tenderness, curiosity, and a touch of nostalgia.