The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book book cover

The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book by Alice B. Toklas Summary

The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book
Alice B. Toklas
4.03 (874 Reviews)
Biography
Society
Health
Overview
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Overview of The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book

Discover the revolutionary cookbook that doubled as a memoir, introducing "Hashish Fudge" to America and sparking a cult following. Alice Toklas's 1954 bestseller offers more than recipes - it's a portal into Parisian artistic circles where Picasso dined and counterculture was born.

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Key takeaways

1

A Culinary Journey Through Art, War, and Love

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The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book is far more than a collection of recipes. Published in 1954 when Toklas was 77, it's a vibrant memoir disguised as a cookbook-a portal into the avant-garde Paris of the early 20th century where Picasso, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald gathered in the salon she shared with her partner Gertrude Stein. When asked to write about her life with Stein, Toklas declined, saying "Gertrude did my autobiography and it's done." Instead, she created something far more revealing-a book "full of memories" that James Beard called "one of the best books about food ever written." Through her culinary lens, we glimpse an extraordinary life lived among extraordinary people, seasoned with wit and the flavors of a bygone era. What makes her work so enduring isn't just the recipes but her remarkably poetic voice, describing custards with "the colour of their flavour" and soups that "come beautifully limpid."

2

The Reluctant Culinary Icon

3

The Violence of Cooking

4

A Culinary Anthropologist

5

Surviving War Through Food

6

The Gardens at Bilignin: A Culinary Paradise

7

A Legacy Beyond the Kitchen

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"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

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@OojasSalunke
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
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star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

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"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

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@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

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