1. Famous Gastronomes / Chefs

2. What is Gastronomy?
Art of selecting, preparing, serving, and enjoying fine food.
Molecular gastronomy

3. How it all began Early gastronomy:
China - 5th Century BC
Rome – Noted for the excess and ostentation of its banquets
Foundations of modern Western gastronomy - laid during the Renaissance period (1,400 – 1,600), in Italy and France

4. Famous chefs from history
Brillat Savarin
Born in France, in 1755
Famous for his book The Physiology of Taste (1826)
Worked as a lawyer
He gave the appearance of being absent minded and shy but it is said that after a good meal he bubbled over with good conversation

5. Savarin cont.,
The Physiology of Taste is in two parts and includes topics such as senses of taste, gastronomy, the theory of frying, thirst, drinks, gourmands and the pleasures of the table.
His book is available and has been translated to other languages over the years.
A famous quote from Savarin: “A rich soup, a small turbot, a saddle of venison, an apricot tart: this is a dinner fit for a king” - an expression we still use to this day.

6. Marie Antoine Careme 1783 to 1883
16th child of a poor family, started working in the kitchen at the age of 10
6 years later apprenticed as a patissier and taught himself to read and write
1803 he became Chef Patissier to Talleyrand (French foreign minister)
Turned down Czar Alexander’s invitation to be Russia’s leading chef. Became head chef of the Carlton House in London where he set standards for chefs throughout Britain.
Became known as “The Chef of Kings and the King of Chefs”

7. More on Careme…
A Careme’s banquet feast for the military in the Champs-Elysees:
10, 000 guests
The menu required:
6 cows
75 calves
250 sheep
8,000 turkeys
2,000 chickens
1,000 table fowls
1,000 partridges
500 hams, 1,000 carp, 1,000 pike, and 145 casks of wine…

8. Georges Auguste Escoffier
1864 to 1935
Worked in his uncle’s restaurant at the age of 13
1890 with Cesar Ritz opened the Savoy hotel in London, stayed until 1898
Moved to the Carlton hotel (most famous in Europe)
Emperor William II called him the “Emperor of Chefs”
Wrote several books, among them the famous Le Guide Culinaire

9. More on Escoffier…
One of the greatest influences in the culinary world: The Kitchen Brigade
This added to the principle task of kitchen organization and changed the way in which kitchens were run

10. Michel Guerard
His influence stemmed from a book he wrote in 1976 entitled “Cuisine Minceur” which combined with the nouvelle cuisine book of Paul Bocuse to create a system of cooking and serving that revolutionized classical practices and caused a major upheaval of culinary traditions.
Michel Guerard, the Troisgros brothers and Paul Bocuse were the innovators of cuisine moderne.
The innovations of modern cuisine are still firmly established in the majority of first class restaurants throughout the world.

11. Modern chefs that have made an impression: Choose one and research for their Bio!
Julia Childs
Anton Mossiman
Charlie Trotter
Thomas Keller
The Roux Brothers
Gordon Ramsey
Wolfgang Puck
Tom Colicchio
James Beard