Definition
Alice Babette Toklas (April 30 1877 – March 7 1967) was an American‑born writer, culinary author, and longtime partner of writer Gertrude Stein. She is best known for her memoir The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (1933) and for The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook (1954), which introduced a number of French dishes and the “Hashish Fudge” to an English‑language audience.
Overview
Born in San Francisco to Hungarian‑Jewish immigrants, TokToklas grew up in a middle‑class family and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied chemistry. In 1905 she traveled to Paris and became part of the city's artistic avant‑garde, joining a circle that included Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce. In 1907 she met Gertrude Stein, and the two entered a lifelong partnership that lasted until Stein’s death in 1946.
Toklas managed the household at the Stein residence on Rue de Fleurus, which served as an informal salon for modernist artists and writers. She contributed to the cultural milieu by translating works, arranging gatherings, and assisting Stein with her writings. In 1933, Toklas authored The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, a memoir presented in the voice of herself but actually written by Stein, which became an international bestseller and provided a vivid portrait of Parisian modernism in the early 20th century.
After World War II Toklas settled in New York City, where she continued to host literary gatherings and, in 1954, published The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook. The cookbook is notable for its blend of French cuisine and personal anecdotes, and it introduced the “Hashish Fudge”—a chocolate confection reportedly containing cannabis—to a mainstream audience. She remained an active cultural figure until her death in San Diego, California, in 1967.
Etymology/Origin
- Alice – A common English given name derived from the Old French Aalis, itself a diminutive of Adelais, ultimately from the Germanic Adalheidis meaning “noble‑type” or “of noble kind.”
- B. – Stands for “Babette,” Toklas’s middle name, a diminutive of Barbara, meaning “foreign” or “stranger” in Greek.
- Toklas – A surname of Hungarian origin, likely derived from the Slavic personal name Tokály or a variant of Tóklas, reflecting the family’s Central‑European roots.
Characteristics
- Literary Role: While not a prolific author in her own right, Toklas’s memoir and cookbook have become cultural artifacts that illuminate the social dynamics of the Parisian avant‑garde.
- Culinary Influence: Her cookbook popularized French recipes among American home cooks and contributed to the mid‑20th‑century fascination with exotic ingredients, exemplified by the inclusion of cannabis in a confection.
- Social Function: Toklas acted as a hostess and facilitator within Stein’s salon, creating a space where artists could exchange ideas, thereby influencing the development of modernist literature and visual arts.
- Personal Identity: She is frequently cited in scholarship on LGBTQ+ history as an early example of a visible same‑sex partnership, though she herself rarely used contemporary terminology to describe the relationship.
Related Topics
- Gertrude Stein (partner, collaborator)
- Parisian avant‑garde (early 20th century)
- Modernist literature
- LGBTQ+ history in the United States and France
- 20th‑century culinary history
- American expatriates in Paris
- The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (1933)
- The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook (1954)