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The New Yorker called him, “probably the richest and most famous private chef in the world,” and there is every reason to believe that Mrs. Twombly’s beloved French chef, Joseph Donon, was just that. ... In retirement he realized how extraordinary had been what he had witnessed in his career at Florham and with the Twomblys at their homes in New York City and Newport, a way of life gone forever, and set out to record his memories in a draft memoir he dictated to a friend, and in several interviews with The New Yorker, including a lengthy profile. “It was an epoch! It was a special time, and the way those houses were run should not be forgotten.”
Meet the authors
Walter Cummins has published seven short story collections—Witness, Where We Live, Local Music, The End of the Circle, The Lost Ones, Habitat: stories of bent realism, Telling Stories: Old and New. More than 100 of his stories, as well as memoirs, essays, and reviews, have appeared in magazines such as New Letters, Kansas Quarterly, Virginia Quarterly Review, Under the Sun, Arts & Letters, Confrontation, Bellevue Literary Review, Connecticut Review, The Laurel Review, Other Voices, Georgetown Review, Contrary, Sonora Review, Abiko Quarterly, Weber Studies, Midwest Quarterly, West Branch, South Carolina Review, Crosscurrents, Crescent Review, The MacGuffin, in book collections, and on the Web. His other books include co-authorship of two on Florham, the Vanderbilt-Twombly estate, and, with Arthur T. Vanderbilt, a work on the life of the Twombly chef, Joseph Donon. With Thomas E. Kennedy, he was founding co-publisher of Serving House Books, an outlet for novels, memoirs, and story, poetry, and essay collections. For more than twenty years, he was editor of The Literary Review.
Walter Cummins
Arthur T Vanderbilt II
A graduate of Wesleyan University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Arthur T. Vanderbilt II is the author of many books of history, biography, memoirs, and essays. His books have been selections of the Book-of-the-Month Club, Reader's Digest's "Today's Best Nonfiction", the Easton Press Series of the 100 Best Books of American History, and other book clubs, and have been serialized in newspapers and magazines, translated into foreign languages, excerpted in anthologies, and optioned for film.
"This is just a beautiful book, this first book about Chef Donon, a name every foodie will recognize as the chef who introduced fine French cooking to the United States. It's amazing that this is the first book ever written about him--his life story is fascinating, and he was one of a kind! The book includes Chef Donon's unpublished memoir; I don't know for sure but my guess would be that this may well be the only inside look at a great Gilded Age estate through the eyes of a member of the "downstairs" staff. A tell-all, including Recipes to see for yourself what his wealthy patrons--the Fricks and the Vanderbilts--experienced every day!"
A Beautiful Book!
A Book For all foodies!
"Anyone who has ever enjoyed dining at an elegant French restaurant will enjoy this story of how Chef Donon, student of the revered Auguste Escoffier, brought fine French cooking to the U.S. You will even find some of his recipes as Chef Donon mentions them in his memoirs (although it would be best to avoid the helpless terrapins). Any foodie will enjoy this book. A terrific read!"
A vivid and tasty portrayal of the One of the Country's greatest chefs
"As a confirmed foodie, I greatly enjoyed reading "The Richest and Most Famous Private Chef in the World." Joseph Donon was the private chef to the rich and mighty during the early to mid 20th century in America. Most notably, he worked for Florence Vanderbilt Twombly for many decades, preparing feasts for her many guests at her three residences . . . The vivid descriptions of the inner workings of the great houses in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Jersey capture the imagination to the point one can picture oneself as a weekend house guest. Although a private family chef, Donon had the responsibility of running a high end restaurant type establishment with multiple staff, an unlimited budget, with up to 150 guests to feed on any given weekend . . . Authors Cummins and Vanderbilt do an excellent job of adding to Chef Donon's own words by filling in the gaps in Donon's life including his early education/apprenticeship in France and England as well as his retirement years, in which he devoted himself to furthering the art of French Cuisine through his founding of the organization, Les Amis D'Escoffier Society. Foodies, want to be chefs, or those interested in the history of 20th century America will find this wonderful book an easy and fascinating read. Highly recommended."
A Remarkable Life!
Not only did Joseph Donon play a major role in bringing French cuisine to America, he led a dramatic life--from serving and being wounded in World War I in France, to managing the kitchens of great mansions and estates, and even catching a record setting striped bass. What an amazing life! What a wonderful story!
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