Vincent la Chapelle
Encyclopedia
Vincent La Chapelle was a French master cook to Phillip Dormer Stanhope
, fourth Earl of Chesterfield
, to William IV, Prince of Orange
, to John V of Portugal then to Madame de Pompadour
, the mistress of Louis XV of France
.
La Chapelle was the first writer to insist on a veritable rupture with the past and to characterize his cooking as modern. While working in London, La Chapelle published his text first in three English volumes in 1733 and then in four French volumes in 1735. Entitled Le Cuisinier moderne, the work was the forerunner of a lavishly illustrated series of cookbooks that might equally well be considered art books. In 1742 he published Le cuisinier moderne, qui apprend à donner toutes sortes de repas, en gras & en maigre, d'une manière plus délicate que ce qui en a été écrit jusqu'à présent : divisé en cinq volumes, avec de nouveaux modéles de vaisselle, & des desseins de table dans le grand goût d'aujourd'hui, gravez en taille-douce ... / par le sieur Vincent La Chapelle in The Hague. The cookbook has some prints of table settings and is easy to read, not very much has changed since. Many recipes are based on typical Dutch or English dishes, like steak and pies. He used many herbs or expensive oysters, some recipes are low fat, considered with his clientele; some are accompanied with rice, then he called it Indian.
Vincent la Chapelle formed a Free Masons Lodge on November 8, 1734, probably in The Hague
or Leeuwarden. There is still a lodge in the Netherlands carrying his name. After the Prince of Orange married Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
in London, he returned to the Netherlands with the cook Vincent la Chapelle. It is very possible they knew each other for some years, since Vincent was the cook of the English ambassador.
It has recently been shown that the Saxon minister Heinrich, Graf von Bruhl, had a chef d'office who also had the surname La Chapelle, and the two made regular visits to the Meissen
factory between 1737 and 1740—during the period when the radically inventive Swan service was in production. If the two La Chapelles are one and the same, which remains unknown, it would shed light on the close relationship between pastry and sugar sculpture, and silver and porcelain modeling.
Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield PC KG was a British statesman and man of letters.A Whig, Lord Stanhope, as he was known until his father's death in 1726, was born in London. After being educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, he went on the Grand Tour of the continent...
, fourth Earl of Chesterfield
Earl of Chesterfield
Earls of Chesterfield, in the County of Derby, was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for Philip Stanhope, 1st Baron Stanhope. He had already been created Baron Stanhope, of Shelford in the County of Nottingham, in 1616, also in the Peerage of England. Stanhope's youngest son...
, to William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, to John V of Portugal then to Madame de Pompadour
Madame de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
, the mistress of Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
.
Biography
La Chapelle had been a traveler to Spain, Portugal, who wrote The Modern Cook, while in Chesterfield's employment. A French edition was published in 1735. It is one of the great eighteenth century classics and had a strong influence on upper class food in England. To some degree, La Chapelle borrowed some of his recipes from his predecessor Massialot, who composed a book on court cookery and confectionery in 1692.La Chapelle was the first writer to insist on a veritable rupture with the past and to characterize his cooking as modern. While working in London, La Chapelle published his text first in three English volumes in 1733 and then in four French volumes in 1735. Entitled Le Cuisinier moderne, the work was the forerunner of a lavishly illustrated series of cookbooks that might equally well be considered art books. In 1742 he published Le cuisinier moderne, qui apprend à donner toutes sortes de repas, en gras & en maigre, d'une manière plus délicate que ce qui en a été écrit jusqu'à présent : divisé en cinq volumes, avec de nouveaux modéles de vaisselle, & des desseins de table dans le grand goût d'aujourd'hui, gravez en taille-douce ... / par le sieur Vincent La Chapelle in The Hague. The cookbook has some prints of table settings and is easy to read, not very much has changed since. Many recipes are based on typical Dutch or English dishes, like steak and pies. He used many herbs or expensive oysters, some recipes are low fat, considered with his clientele; some are accompanied with rice, then he called it Indian.
Vincent la Chapelle formed a Free Masons Lodge on November 8, 1734, probably in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
or Leeuwarden. There is still a lodge in the Netherlands carrying his name. After the Prince of Orange married Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange, the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands...
in London, he returned to the Netherlands with the cook Vincent la Chapelle. It is very possible they knew each other for some years, since Vincent was the cook of the English ambassador.
It has recently been shown that the Saxon minister Heinrich, Graf von Bruhl, had a chef d'office who also had the surname La Chapelle, and the two made regular visits to the Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
factory between 1737 and 1740—during the period when the radically inventive Swan service was in production. If the two La Chapelles are one and the same, which remains unknown, it would shed light on the close relationship between pastry and sugar sculpture, and silver and porcelain modeling.
External links
- About a magnificent copy of the very rare First French Edition of La Chapelle’s classic of 18th century culinary history
- About a tureen made for Phillip Dormer Stanhope
- Ratafia of Quinces
- Free Masons Lodge Vincent la Chapelle
- Recette de la tarte au citron meringuée
- Histoire politique de la gastronomie