Summer Cooking

London: Museum Press, 1955. First Edition. Hard Cover. Dust Jacket. First UK Edition. SIGNED LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR LAID IN. Publisher's turquoise boards with gilt lettering to the spine. A near fine copy in like dustwrapper priced 12/6 net to the inside flap (as called for). The dustwrapper and internal illustrations designed by Adrian Daintrey. The dustwrapper is the nicest example that I have encountered of this fragile first edition. The orange portions of the spine are faded to a lighter hue and the spine tips are minisculy rubbed but with no loss. A super copy. Laid in is hand-written card from the Author from her 24 Halsey Street address and dated August 1st 1989. "Dear Ron [Latham], Thank you for a gorgeous treat - Nico is certainly in splendid form and his cooking is quite remarkable. He is inventive. I don't think Michelin will like his Indian touches, but perhaps he's decided not to worry about them any more. Last time I dined there, a couple of weeks ago, he was telling some characters that they were very welcome to enjoy a meal but he did not repeat not wish to be included in any guide -- Anyway, I enjoyed our lunch enormously, and I hope you'll allow me yo invite you and Janet to a lunch before long. Love Elizabeth" Did you see this show at the National Gallery? It was dazzling --. The hand-written card is written on the verso of a National Gallery post-card that illustrates "Still Life with Oranges and Walnuts by Luis MELENDEZ (1716-1780). The card is laid in a hard-written envelope also in Elizabeth David's hand. NB: The reference to "NICO" by Elizabeth David is likely to be a reference to Nico Ladenis (a self-taught chef of Greek descent from Tanganyika) who opened his bistro-style restaurant in Pimlico, Simply Nico, in 1989. He earned 3 Michelin Stars and was awarded 10 out of ten by the Good Food Guide. Photographs/sans available upon request.