Gastronomy ALI-BAB (Henri BABINSKI) Practical Gastronomy. Culinary studies followed by the Treatment of Obesity of the Gourmands - Paris. Flammarion. 1912. Fort In-4° (205 x 252 mm), second edition, partly original, revised and considerably enlarged, full plum-colored basane with gilt text on the smooth spine, yellow edges, beautiful typography, frontispiece with a portrait of the author seated at his desk according to the painting by Eugène CADEL, alphabetical table, 636 pp Henri Joseph Séverin Babinski, (July 2, 1855 - August 20, 1931), known under the pseudonym of Ali-Bab, was a mining engineer, gastronome and writer. Henri Babinski was the son of a Polish engineer who emigrated to Paris in 1848 and the older brother of the neurologist Joseph Babinski. After graduating as a civil mining engineer, he was the director of a zinc mine in La Grand-Combe (Gard) and worked for more than 15 years in Guyana and other countries in the exploration and exploitation of gold mines. From the beginning of the 20th century until his death, he lived in Paris. During his stays abroad, his encounter with the cuisines of each country awakened his interest in the culinary arts. In 1907, he published under the pseudonym of Ali-Bab his Gastronomie pratique. This book contained not only detailed recipes but also texts on the history of the culinary art, on the foods and drinks used. The book was extensively corrected and expanded by its author in each new edition. It was one of the reference works on French cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century. Our edition is the second, the only one with a color portrait of the author in frontispiece! It is in its original binding in "plum" basane. Very RARE. ref. Oberlé 274. Very good condition; despite very small spotting; a very good copy. A great classic of the table that it is useless to present. Indispensable.