Only the Esoteric

In the lifetime of most publications, 50 issues is not that big a deal. But in the case of Petits Propos Culinaire, who’da thunk it?

PPC, as its fans call it, is published out of a London neighborhood known as the World’s End by a retired British ambassador and his wife. It has never carried an advertisement and probably never paid any of its writers. In it, you’re much more likely to find learned disquisitions on the history of the trifle than “15 Chocolate Desserts for Fall.”

That’s what it’s about: unusual food lore. Editors Alan and Jane Davidson are always on the lookout for articles on how to carve a stork or a peacock or on the Tibetan belief that a particular ingredient changes from a vegetable to an insect at certain seasons. Want to know about early Norwegian or Icelandic cookbooks? Now, that’s PPC’s territory.

The 50th issue reproduces the covers of all 49 previous issues on its cover, something of a feat, since PPC is about the size of a paperback book. PPC 50 is available at Cook’s Library in Los Angeles, Williams-Sonoma stores and other locations. Or for a three-issue subscription, send a check for $23.50 made out “PPC North America” to 45 Lamont Road, London SW10 OHU, England.