Henri Babinski
Henri Joseph Séverin Babinski (born November 2, 1855 in Paris ; † August 20, 1931 ibid), pseudonym Ali-Bab , was a French cookbook author .
Henri Babinski was the son of the Polish engineer Alexander Babinski, who emigrated to Paris in 1848, and of Henriette Waren. He was the older brother of the neurologist Joseph Babinski (1857-1932).
From 1874 Henri Babinski attended the Paris mining school École des Mines and graduated in 1878 as an engineer ( Ingénieur civil des mines ). He was director of a zinc mine in La Grand-Combe ( department of Gard ) and then worked for more than 15 years in French Guiana and other countries on the development and exploration of gold mines. From the turn of the century until his death, he lived in Paris with his brother.
His stays abroad and his experiences with the respective national kitchens sparked Babinski's interest in the art of cooking. In 1907 he published the cookbook Gastronomie pratique under the pseudonym Ali-Bab . In addition to detailed recipes, it also contained texts on the history of culinary art, food science and beverages. The book was later greatly expanded by Babinski and comprised over 1000 pages in the 1928 edition. Alongside Auguste Escoffier's Guide Culinaire (1903), it is considered one of the standard works of the 20th century on French cuisine .
Works
- Gastronomy pratique, études culinaires, suivies du traitement de l'obésité des gourmands . Flammarion, Paris 1907
- New edition: Gastronomy pratique: Une bible gourmande en 5000 recettes . Flammarion, Paris 1993, ISBN 2-08-200728-6 .
Web links
- Detailed biographical data (PDF file; 86 kB)
- Gastronomy pratique , edition from 1907 (French)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Babinski, Henri |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Babinski, Henri Joseph Séverin; Ali-Bab (pseudonym) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French cookbook author |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 2, 1855 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Paris |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 20, 1931 |
| Place of death | Paris |