Alice B. Toklas (1877-1967) was born in San Francisco, California. Long before Julia Child discovered French cooking, Toklas was sampling local dishes and collecting recipes in Paris between the wars. She was confidante, lover, cook, secretary, muse, editor and critic to the writer, Gertrude Stein. Together, they hosted a salon that attracted many influential writers and artists of the day, including Ernest Hemingway, Paul Bowles, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso and Matisse. First published in 1954, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook is a rich mixture of cookery, anecdote and reminiscence, evoking 1950's Paris and meals shared with famous friends. It is one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time.