Mastering the Art of French Cooking [Signed Seventeenth Printing]

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1968. Stylishly signed by Julia Child and Paul Child at half-title page: "Julia Child, Paul Child." Very attractive signatures contemporaneous with publishing of this volume. Stated seventeenth printing, May 1968. 1968 at title page; notably larger font for year than earlier editions. Patterned fleur-de-lis boards w/turquoise stars, black and white cover and spine titles on orange fields, light shelf wear. Pages generally near fine, crisp. Two summer 1971 news clippings from the Seattle Post Intelligencer set in at front pages; some toning from these to pages. Each article features unique detail on Julia Child with images and a chocolate cake recipe. Interestingly, this volume also features an inscription at front endpaper with seventeen distinct signatures below: "T'was the night before Christmas 1968... Charles Pfifer, John Courage, Marin Martin" et al. Appears this signed volume may have been a Christmas eve gift and after search, few of the names appear to possibly have been a journalist, a producer, and an artist. Bind fine, hinges fully intact. Original dust wrapper, moderate shelf wear, rub, coffee cup ring to front panel; protected in new clear sleeve. Rare near fine signed original single volume edition in very good wrapper. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food & long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with over 100 instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because: It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection. It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations bound to increase anyone's culinary repertoire. 684 pages plus 32 page index. Insured post.. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Coryn, Sidonie (Illustrations). 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Book.