A table plan for a ceremonial meal, laid out neatly in ‘the Russian style’, as described by Aunt Marie, the authority on French cooking and kitchens. But Marie wasn’t a real person – she was made up by food writer Charlotte Turgeon, who gave her recipes and rules an air of authority by making it seem as if they came from a culinary matriarch.

French people today know Tante Marie as an authority on classic French treats like sauces, soups, meat dishes, and pastries. And it is still a decent guide to the fundamentals of French cuisine and authentic techniques.

The book is on display in the museum and also as part of an online exhibition Pot Luck: the kitchen of yesteryear (in French): https://museepauldupuy.toulouse.fr/expositions-virtuelles/cuisine-dantan/