Because of the French domination of the culinary scene since
time began (or so it seems, anyway), it stands to reason the
most famous chefs in history are - what else? - French, with the
exception of one American woman (discussed later), who was,
nevertheless, trained in classical French cooking.
Known as the "King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings," Antoine
Careme went from being an abandoned child left at the door of a
restrauteur in 18th century Paris, to become the father of
"haute cuisine" - the high art of French cooking - in the early
19th century. Chef to then-world movers and shakers such as
diplomat Talleyrand-Perigord, the future King George IV, Czar
Alexander I, and the powerful banker James Rothschild, Careme is
noted for his voluminous writings on cooking, including the
famed L'Art de la Cuisine Francaise (The Art of French Cooking),
a five-volume masterpiece on menu planning, table settings,
hundreds of recipes, and a history of French cooking.
Another Frenchman, George Auguste Escoffier, bridged the 19th
and 20th centuries with a modernization of Careme's elaborate
cuisine by ingenious simplification of it. Escoffier lent his
talents as a chef to open the Ritz and Carlton hotels with
partner Cesar Ritz, and then went on to wow such illustrious
passengers as Kaiser William II of Germany on the German liner
Imperator. Besides being known for such famous treats at Peach
Melba, created for Australian singer Nellie Melba in 1893,
Escoffier penned numerous volumes on cooking and was largely
instrumental in the betterment of conditions within commercial
kitchens. A stickler for cleanliness, he demanded the same from
his workers and forbade swearing or any type of violence, which
at the time, was common as apprentices and other help were
routinely beaten by older staff.
Charles Ranhofer, the son of a restrauteur and the grandson of a
chef, goes down in the annals of great chefs as the first French
chef to bring the grandeur of his country's cuisine to America.
Noted primarily as the head chef of New York City's famed
Delmonico's restaurant, Ranhofer ran its kitchens for nearly 34
years. Serving such luminaries as President Andrew Johnson,
President U.S. Grant, Charles Dickens, and a host of foreign
dignitaries, Ranhofer created such culinary distinctions as
Lobster Newburg and Baked Alaska, among many others. He also
wrote "one of the most complete treatises of its kind,"
according to the New York Times in praise of his book, The
Epicurean, published in 1894.
A discourse on famous historical chefs would not be complete
without the inclusion of one of the most gifted chefs of all
time: an American woman named Julia Child. Born to a prominent
California family, Child did not begin to cook until the age of
34. It was after she moved with her husband to France that she
had her grand epiphany: Good food is more than roast beef and
mashed potatoes. She flung herself headlong into an education at
the esteemed Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and later wrote
Mastering the Art of French Cooking with two partners. Child
went on to become the first "celebrity chef" with more books,
television programs, newspaper columns, and magazine articles.
She brought exquisite French cuisine to America as much with her
"have-a-good-time" attitude toward cooking as she did with her
talent and expertise.
To all these great chefs, we owe a debt for their giftedness and
tireless contributions that have truly turned cooking into an
art form. It does make one wonder, however, if ever the
temptation arose with any of them to ever dine secretly on a
lowly peanut butter and jelly sandwich or to toast the evening
with Kool-Aid and crackers. We'll never know, but we'll surely
speculate - as we take another bite of quiche Lorraine.
In the meantime you can find out more by visiting the web site
listed below.
Keith Londrie II has worked and researched the subject of chefs.
To learn more information, please visit the new site for
culinary information at
http://define-culinary-arts-program-schools-restaurant-management
.info/
About the author:
To learn more, please visit
http://define-culinary-arts-program-schools-restaurant-management
.info/
Keith Londrie II
klondrie @ yahoo.com
http://define-culinary-arts-program-schools-restaurant-management
.info/
