Beck, Simone, 1904-1991

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Cookbook author and cooking instructor Simone "Simca" Beck (1904-1992) was born in Normandy, France. In 1933 Beck began taking classes at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, but her professional career as a cook and teacher did not begin until nearly twenty years later, after she had become involved in the Cercle des Gourmettes, an exclusive women's culinary club. She and Louisette Bertholle, who also joined the Cercle, began working on a French cookbook for Americans. After an unsuccessful attempt at writing a full-length cookbook, they published the brief What's Cooking in France? in 1952. Beck followed with the booklet, Le Pruneau Devant le Forneau: Recettes de Cuisine (ca. 1952), her only publication in French. After she met Julia Child in 1949 the idea of writing a cookbook for Americans was rekindled. Child joined the Cercle too, and the three worked closely together. They formed their own Ecole des Trois Gourmandes in 1951 to give lessons in French cooking to American women living in Paris; the school continued on and off into the late 1970s. In 1961 they published Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I. Volume II, co-authored by Beck and Child alone, followed in 1970.

Beck stayed active professionally, teaching at her home and giving cooking demonstrations around the world. In 1972 she published her own cookbook, Simca's Cuisine, with Patricia Simon. She published the second volume, New Menus from Simca's Cuisine, with Michael James in 1979. Food and Friends: Recipes and Memories from Simca's Cuisine, her autobiography and last cookbook (with Suzy Patterson), was published in 1991.

From the description of Papers, 1920-1993 (inclusive). (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 232008643

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Weimer (Jan) Papers, 1974-2004 University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Fisher, M. F. K. (Mary Frances Kennedy), 1908-1992. Typed letter signed with initials : Last House [Glen Ellen, California], to David Pleydell-Bouverie, 1977 Oct. 16. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Bertholle, Louisette. Papers, 1953-1992 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of M.F.K. Fisher, 1860-1995 (inclusive) 1929-1992 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Child, Julia. Additional papers of Julia Child, 1890-2004 (inclusive) 1950-2001 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Audio collection of Julia Child, 1961-1995 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Fisher, M. F. K. (Mary Frances Kennedy), 1908-1992. Typed letter signed with initials : Last House [Glen Ellen, California], to David Pleydell-Bouverie, 1977 Oct. 24. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf M. F. K. (Mary Frances Kennedy) Fisher papers, 1908-1992. Typed letter signed with initials : Last House [Glen Ellen, California], to David Pleydell-Bouverie, 1979 Nov. 1. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Fisher, M. F. K. (Mary Frances Kennedy), 1908-1992. Typed letter signed : Last House [Glen Ellen, California], to David Pleydell-Bouverie, 1980 Dec. 1. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Fisher, M. F. K. (Mary Frances Kennedy), 1908-1992. Autograph letter signed with initials : [Aix-en-Provence], to David Pleydell-Bouverie, 1976 July 19. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Ferrone, John. Letters to John Ferrone, 1970-1994 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Avis De Voto. Papers, 1929-1990 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Beard, James, 1903-1985. person
associatedWith Bertholle, Louisette. person
associatedWith Brandel, Catherine. person
associatedWith Cercle des Gourmettes. corporateBody
associatedWith Child, Julia. person
associatedWith Cutler, Carol. person
associatedWith David, Elizabeth, 1913- person
associatedWith De Voto, Avis. person
associatedWith De Voto, Avis MacVicar, 1904- person
associatedWith Donsky, Joanne. person
associatedWith Ecole des Trois Gourmandes. corporateBody
associatedWith Ferrone, John. person
associatedWith Fisher, M. F. K. (Mary Frances Kennedy), 1908-1992. person
associatedWith James, Michael, 1950- person
associatedWith Jones, Judith. person
associatedWith Kamman, Madeleine. person
associatedWith Kump, Peter. person
associatedWith Lucas, Dione, 1909-1971. person
associatedWith Molard, Jane. person
associatedWith Olney, Richard. person
associatedWith Patterson, Suzanne. person
associatedWith Philomène. person
associatedWith Southwick, Elsie. person
associatedWith Weimer, Jan. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
France
Subject
Authors
Cooking
Cooking
Cooking, French
Cooking schools
Cooks
Food writers
Women cooks
Occupation
Authors
Food writers
Activity

Person

Birth 1904-07-07

Death 1991-12-20

French

French

Information

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