world’s great temples of food, and I hope that through this book I can encourage many readers to follow me.
A WORD ON OUR CHOICES There are bookshops full of cookbooks featuring the recipes of great chefs, and these books are bought by hobby chefs and chefs who try to replicate the food by following their recipes. However, it is my belief that in order to cook their food we must know where the great chefs came from and we must gain insight into their passion, their belief in the food. With so many fantastic chefs around the world, the selection of the chefs portrayed in the book was difficult. We decided to focus on the ‘iconic’ chefs—chefs who have developed their own trends, created remarkable signature dishes and through their experience, their talent and creativity inspired generations of young chefs to follow them. The restaurants I have visited not only deserve their stars and hats, but their chefs deserve their fame. They are obsessed with perfection and they expect that all around them share their care for the smallest detail. They seek perfection, not just once but for every dish on every day, they are true masters of their craft; they are regarded as legends by their customers, their critics and even by their peers. Some have attained ‘superstar’ status which has made the professional career as a cook much more popular among young people. I was privileged to meet some of these iconic chefs while preparing this book and I was impressed with the passion and dedication they devote to their profession. They are indeed extraordinary people with the stamina of oxen, the tenacity of Olympic champions and the souls of artists.
A WORD ON FOOD FASHIONS Food innovation has become very fashionable and an interest in food trends is now part of the modern lifestyle. Today’s cuisine has gone through an exciting evolution over the past 100 years. At the beginning of last century there was only one cuisine, defined by one chef, Escoffier,
and later perfected by Monsieur Point. But then the pupils of Point used their experience, talent and passion to create their own trends, developing new cuisines—naturelle, minceur, nouvelle, actuelle and, most recently, molecular cuisine. Some have indeed revolutionised cooking with their innovative approach and in turn contributed to the evolution of cuisine. Their restaurants are often booked for months in advance – some even for a whole year. Today, exciting new trends are developed and enthusiastically accepted by customers. For example, in a trend I return to in my comments at the end of the book, exotic salts are being used by many chefs to give food a fresh finishing touch and enhance the original flavor of the ingredients. Great, Grand & Famous Chefs and Their Signature Dishes is a celebration of the iconic chefs who have given food lovers like myself so much pleasure. It is a recognition of their absolute talent and an appreciation of what they have contributed to their profession. Their hard work over many years has provided us with many hours in food heaven and for that we will love them forever. Unfortunately, many people have not had the opportunity to be introduced to these chefs that I admire so much. With this book, I give you, the reader, that opportunity.
Previous spread: French chef Joël Robuchon stands in the empty kitchen of his Avenue Poincaré restaurant, Paris 1994. Above: The baba au rhum, an Alain Ducasse signature dish, as served at Restaurant Jules Verne, Eiffel Tower, Paris.