Aegus
:
A specialist from the Island of Rhodes in the roasting of
fish
Aphthonetus
:
An expert in sausage making (sausages and the haggis are
said to be Ancient Greek in origin)
Apicius
:
Marcus Gavius Apicius, born about 25AD he is reputed to
have written a book of recipes called ‘de re conquinaria
libri decem’ (Cuisine in ten books). He was reknown
for his expensive taste and extravagance.
Archestratus
:
Greek poet and gastronome of the 4th century. He wrote a
poem ( quite a lengthy one) entitled Gastronomy, which detailed
advice for the gourmet, fragments of which still remain.
the poem is also known under the names; Gastrology, Deipnology
and Hedypathy.
Aristion
:
Said to have been a master at preparing foods for 'picnics'
Artmidourous
:
Spent his life writing about the function of the stomach,
he presented his life's work in a poem entitled, "Gastronomy".
Tragically this work has long since been lost; it was said
to contain the entire structure of ancient Greek in detail.
Charides
:
Hailing from the capital of Athens, his forcemeats were
said to be unpsurpassable
Euthymos
:
Excellance in lentil dishes
Lamprius
:
Excellance in black broths are his claim to fame
Nereus
:
From Chios, he specialised in cooking of conger eels
Philoxenus
:
A Theoretician from Leucadus, he spent his life devoted
to the study of digestion. Rather unusually, he overtime,
got his hands and mouth accostomed to temeratures of 100°
C (boiling point of water). At meals he would have his staff
serve the meals as hot as was possible and would sit there
and eat, meanwhile his guests would have to sit and wait
until the food had cooled sufficiently.
Pythyllus
:
He invented a sheath to fit over the tongue; this was to
protect from the more pungent seasonings used. Needless
to say the idea was not popular.
Pythegnos
:
His skills in organising and catering 'Orgies' were never
matched.
Thimbon
:
Said to have nursed the culinary art from the beginning
to its height in Rome
Thimacides
:
A poet as well as a cook; he combined both of these skills
to inspire his pupils
Pierre
Francoise de la Varenne
born: 1615 died: 1678
Author of "Le Vrai Cuisinier", published in 1651;
the first cookbook to summerise the French Nobilities cooking
practices. (see Larouse Gastronomique)
Fritz
Karl Watel (Vatel)
For a more detailed biography view
this page
Antoine
Beauvilliers
born Paris: 1754 died: 1817
Beauvilliers is credited with having the first real restaurant
in Paris; grande Taverne de Londres on the Rue de Richelieu.
Having been a Chef of the Count of Provence, he would greet
his guests in his official uniform (officier de bouche de
reserve) complete with a sword.
On
the eve of the French Revolution, he opened a restaurant
under his own name, that reigned supreme for many years,
despite the Revolution. The doors to this establishment;
Beauvilliers, were finally closed 8 years after his death
in 1828. In 1814 he wrote, ‘ L’art de cuisiner’
and also collaborated with Careme on La Cuisine ordinair.
Brillat-Savarin,
Jean Anthelme
born: 1 April 1755 died: 2 February 1826
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was born in Belley on April
1, 1755, and died in Saint-Denis February 2, 1826. He was
born Anthelme Brillat but to obtain an inheritance from
an aunt, he was forced to take her name aswell.
He
studied Law in Dijon, followed by basic chemistry and medicine.
In 1789 as a young solicitor he was the elected deputy to
the National Assembly. After being forced into exile, he
left France for Switzerland and eventually the USA. He lived
for three years in the United States, supporting himself
as a violinist with the John Street Theatre and by teaching
French. He returned to France and his legal career in 1796/7
after obtaining permission to do so.
The
author of La Physiologie du gout, which was released on
December 8, 1825, it was a treatise on the fine art of gastronomy.
Published in English as The Physiology of Taste (1825),
it was the first work to treat dining as a form of art,
and gastronomy as "the intelligent knowledge of whatever
concerns man's nourishment." The book is still great
reading with his excessive theoroms and aphorisms, not only
was he a ‘gourmet scientist’, but he also held
a great sense of wit.
Savarin
was determined to turn the culinary art a true science,
he pulled everything apart and studied it and applied all
the sciences to find out the cause and effect. A great defender
of greed and a man consumed with the love of food, he died
in Paris two months after the release of his book. He contracted
a cold at a Mass, that was held to celebrate the memory
of Louis XVI .
Grimold
de le Reyniere
born: 1758 died: 1837
Careme,
Marie Antonin {kah-rem'}
born 8 June 1784 died: 12 January 1833
For
a more detailed biography view
this page
Jean
Avice
born:
Pastry Chef at the Bailly, on the Rue de Vivienne in Paris
in the early 19th century. He was appointed purveyor to
the famous French diplomat and gourmand, Talleyrand and
trained Careme when he was young. Careme later paid tribute
to Avice by refering to him as ‘the illustrious Avice,
master of choux pastry. It is Jean Avice who is credited
with the creation of the 'Madeleine'.
Alexandre
Dumas
born: 1802 died: 1870
Adolphe
Dugléré
born Bordeaux: 1805 died Paris: 1884
Dugléré was a pupil of Careme’s and is
always associated with the Café Anglais in Paris.
The Café Anglais opened in the Boulevard des Italiens.
It was named in honour of the peace treaty just signed between
England and France., as he made it one of the most famous
in the world. He also managed the restaurant at Les Freres
Provencaux and was the Head Chef at the kitchens of the
Rothschild familiy’s kitchen
The
dishes he is famous for creating are Potage Germiny, soufflé
a la Anglaise, sole Dugléré and the reknowned
Anna Potatoes; named after Anna Deslions, a lady of high
fashion at the time. At an historic dinner, which became
known as ‘the three Emporers’ due to the attendance
of Alexander II, the future Alexander III, Wilhelm I of
Prussia and Bismark, it was Dugléré who was
the Chef Patron. The dinner on June 7, 1867 was an expensive
and extravagant affair even for those times.
Soup:
Impératice
and Fontanges
Hors
d’oeuvres:
Soufflés
a la reines
Removes:
Fillet
of sole a la vénitienne
Escalopes of turbot au gratin
Saddle of mutton with Breton purée
Entrées:
Chicken
a la Portugaise
Hot quail paté
Lobster a la Parisienne
Champagne sorbet
Roasts:
Duckling
a la rouennaise
Canapés of ortolan
Entremets:
Aubergines
a l’espagnole
Asparagus spears
Cassolettes princess
Desserts:
Bombes
glacées
Wines:
Retour
de l’Inde Madiera, sherry
Château -d’Yquem 1847
Château Margaux 1847
Château-Lafite 1847
Château-Latour 1848
Chambertin 1846, Champagne Roederer
Louise
Saulnier
born:
Author of 'The Repetoire de la Cuisine'
Jules
Gouffe
born: 1807 died; 1877
Alexis
Soyer
born: 04 February 1810 died: 5 August 1858
In my opinion probably the most underated and lesser known
of the 'Master' chefs. Alexis amongst other things created
classical dishes, was an author, invented many kitchen appliances
including an army stove that was in use for nearly a century
and an aid for rescueing the drowning. He created a single
dish that cost over a hundred pounds and yet organaised
soup kitchens for the needy, that produced soups at less
than a penny per litre.
For
more information on this great chef, please visit www.soyer.co.uk
Urbaine
Francois Dubois
born: 1818 died: 1901
Charles
Pierre Monselet
born: 1825 died: 1888
Charles
Ranhofer
born: 1836 died: 1899
The first internationally famous Chef from an American establishment.
(see Larousse Gastronomique)
Auguste
Escoffier
born: 1846 died: 1935
The French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier, born October
28, 1846 (Villeneuve-Loubet in the Provence region) died
February 12, 1935, modernised and simplified the elaborate
cuisine created by the 18th century master chef, Marie CAREME.
For
a more complex biography of the 'King of Chefs and Chef
of Kings' view this page
Marthe
Distell
born:
The Cordon Bleu is a famous school of cooking in Paris and
was founded in 1895 by Marthe Distell to teach the principles
of French cuisine to the daughters of upper-class families.
Today it attracts amateur and professional cooks from throughout
the world. The term cordon bleu is probably derived from
the blue ribbons worn by knights of the Order of the Holy
Ghost, a chivalric order renowned for the excellence of
its table. The ribbon was first used as a gastronomic order
of merit by King Louis XV, who bestowed it on Mme du Barry's
chef, a woman; and for many years, the decoration was given
only to top-ranked female cooks
Phileas
Gilbert
born: 1857 died: 1942
Prosper
Montagne
born: 1864 died: 1948
Edouard
Nignon
born: 1865 died: 1934
Maurice
Edmond Sailland (Curnosky)
born: 1872 died: 1956
Louis
Diat
born: 1885 died: 1957
Fernand
Point
born: 1897 died: 1955
Chef / patron of the La Pyramide restaurant in Vienne, France.
For a more complex biography view
this page
Henri
Soule
born: 1904 died 1966
(see Larousse Gastronomique)
Paul
Bocuse
born: 1926
Marco
Pierre White
born: 1963
Marco was born in Yorkshire in 1963 to an Italian mother,
hence the name 'Marco'. Marco has three brothers, Graham,
Clive and Craig. His mother died six days after giving birth
to Craig. Marco was six. Marco's links to Italy are vague,
consisting of summer holidays frolicking in the sun and
eating lots of sun ripened fruits. Some of Marco's flare
and flamboyance are probably attributable to his Italian
roots.
Marco
first entered a kitchen when he was sixteen. He remembers
his first day: "I began on day one at 7:30 am and I
can't remember when I finished. My first job was to sieve
an enormous stockpot. I was given a chinois and a small
ladle. The stock was a thick glutinous jelly and it took
me three hours to force it through the sieve - no one told
me to warm it up first and then pour it through. They just
left me to it. No one mentioned eating, either. At eight
o'clock they told me to clean a big walk in freezer and
put everything in fresh containers. I was absolutely starving
and took a mouthful out of one of the containers. In an
instant it was all gone. About an hour later a panicking
pastrycook raced through the kitchen shouting for his bavarois.
I hadn't a clue what a bavarois was."
Marco's
next place of employment was at the Box Tree at Ilkley.
At that time the Box Tree's chef was Michael Lawson. Lawson,
although having received no formal training was a superb
cook. He had gained his knowledge through dining at Frances
best restaurants. It was here that Marco started to feel
for his work.
Marco
then went on to the Gavroche, where he worked with Albert
Roux. Albert taught Marco about the proper use of extravagance
and to attend to details. Albert said of Marco: " .
. . He is a man who is running at a hundred miles an hour.
If he doesn't burn himself out-and somehow I think he won't,
he'll go right to the top." Marco learned his skills
as the protégé of Albert Roux at the famous
Gavroche restaurant, before opening his own, Harvey's, in
Wandsworth, SouthWest London in 1987. At 25 years old he
became the youngest chef ever to win two Michelin stars
for Harvey's. In 1992 he opened The Canteen, and in 1993,
his latest venture, The Restaurant in Hyde Park Hotel, was
launched and immediately gained two Michelin stars. He is
now the only restaurateur in Britain to have two restaurants
with these coveted awards. His book 'White Heat', was published
in 1990.
Following
the Gavroche, Marco went to work with Nico. He was working
at Nicos in the evenings and Gavroche in the mornings. He
slept very little and spent most of his time learning, practising,
working. Marco mentions that he learned about the slow pursuit
of perfection from Nico. Nico was always looking to improve
his work. Always chipping away.
After
working for Nico, Marco went into a slump. He quit his job
and become in his own words "a Gastro-punk" He
was acting decadently, working for a couple of weeks, wasting
all his money; After eighteen months of this self-indulgence
he decided to grow up and return to the kitchen. He showed
up at Pierre Koffmanns and worked for free until he was
able to replace a staff member who had moved on. Marco claims
that he learned about bread from Pierre. This is rather
unflattering and typical of Marcos egotism.
After
Pierres, Marco moved on to work with Raymond Blanc. He promised
Nico that he would remain with Raymond at the Manoir aux
Quat'Saisons for at least a year. Once again Marco makes
reference to his own greatness: "Raymond couldn't hold
the reins on me, though. I was in a hurry, and too talented
for my age. He (Raymond) knew I had flair - and I knew I
had flair. I can throw something on a plate and it will
look wonderful." Marco does, however, state that Raymond
has a great sense of taste, he states that food should actually
taste of what it is. He further states that it was from
Raymond that he developed his own sense of taste. (Laughingly)
Marco also states that he is most similar to Raymond as
a chef. He mentions that there is an element of madness
in both of them. He suggests that one-day both he and Raymond
will be wearing not chef's jackets but straitjackets.
Gordon
Ramsey
born: 1966
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