Today we had a lecture on the history of the chef, or French Culinary history. Although chefs and cooking dates WAY back, our lecture started in the Middle Ages (1300s) when there was no refrigeration or electircity or plumbing. Sauces were used but were heavy and bland and mainly used to cover up bad meat (no refrigeration). Salt and spices were expensive and used mainly by the rich.
A man named Taillevant (tae-van)(1312-1395) is credited with separating out the kitchens-separating baking from main course. During the renaissance period (1400s) which was considered a "rebirth", sauces were started to be used to compliment food rather than cover it up and the now less expensive spices were also used to compliment food. Better education made for better food.
While culinary advancement was credited to the French, it was the Italian, Catherine de Medici, who married King Henry II of France and brought with her her entire culinary staff. She also brought fine eating habits, good food preparation and a sense of sophistication to France (who were felt to be barbarians at that time!). This is the beginning of France being credited with using fresh fruits and vegetables, better sauces, spices. Chefs became more respected. This was also the beginning of personal or private chefs.
Pierre Francoise de la Varenne (1615) was the first famous chef. He was credited with writing the first french cookbook called "la Cuisine Francaise". He was also credited for writing down the recipe for roux (a flour and butter or fat mixture used to thicken sauces).
Brillat Savain (1700s) was a famous gastronome (foodie or food snob). He wrote a book called The Physiology of Taste" and really seemed to understand regional cooking.
The first restaurant was opened in Paris in 1765. It was called "A. Boulanger". By our standards today it was a "soup kitchen". The French had non-compete laws that allowed no one but butchers to sell meat and bakeries to sell bread. So the restaurant sold soup!
Then came the French Revolution in 1789. The poor rose up against the rich. The rich could no longer afford their large support staff. One of the staff let go were personal or private chefs. The chefs left their rich employers and started to open restaurants.
Antoine Careme (1783-183) was known as the "greatest cook". He was self-taught, an author and traveled the world. He is credited with the invention of the "Mother Sauces", i.e. Bechamel amonst others. In 1847, after his death, his book "L'Art de La Cuisine Francaise" was published.
Auguste Escoffier (1897-1935) was known as the finest chef since Careme. He was also a famous hotel chef, having been employed by Cesar Ritz and with Ritz, opening many hotels around the world (think Ritz-Carlton, the Ritz). He also is credited with: 1. Cutting down on the amount of garnish on a plate. He felt everything on the plate should be edible. 2. He thought food should look and taste like what it is. 3. He changed food service from grand buffet to a system of courses. 4. He established the brigade system in professional kitchens (chain of command). 5. He is credited with "codifying French food. What this means is structured, consistent cooking. A Bechamel sauce in France is the same Bechamel sauce in America or any where else around the world. For this reason, French is the universal language of the kitchen.
We then moved on to "modern times"-interesting to thik of the 19th and 20th centuries as modern, lol. Frenand Point (1897-1955) was a restauranteur and known as the "Father of French Cuisine". He had a restaurant which still exists today in Lyon called "La Pyraminde". He instituted a lighter cuisine, not the traditional heavy french cuisine. He was also the first chef to come out and greet his guests, talk to them, see how they liked their food. He trained LOTS of chefs over the years. One of which was Paul Bocuse (1926-present) who was a famous Michelin chef. He also started a culinary competition, now famous, called "Bocuse d'Or.
The Michelin Staar system is a system used to rate European restaurants-the more stars your kitchen has, the better your restaurant. This system was developed by the Michelin Tire Company to promote travel to Europe.
Next we talked about James Beard (1903-1985) who was the biggest contributor to American food. He put America on the map from a culinary standpoint. He was not only a fmous chef but a famous author. There is the James Beard Foundation which among other things, offers scholarships to young chefs.
Jacques Pepin (1935-present) is the modern day Escoffier. He has written many cookbooks, many of which cover cooking techniques. He was the Howard Johnson Corporate Chef for a time. As a side note, his daughter, Claudine, lives in Denver!
Julia Child (1912-2004) put French food on American tables and made every housewife a french cook. She wrote many cookbooks and also was one of the first cooking shows on television. Her television show was filmed in Boston and developed with the help of Simone Beck. You might remember Julia Child better from the recent movie, "Julie and Julia".
Alice Waters (1944-present) is an American chef who opened the now famous "Chez Panisse" in Berkeley in the 1970s. She believed in "Farm to Table" and help start the "green movement" using local and organic produce.
There are other modern chefs of note: Thomas Keller, Mario Batalli, Emeril, Alton Brown, the original Iron Chef. The Food Network (with whom many chefs have a love/hate relationship) helped make food "hip and cool".
Once the lecture was over, we all went to our respective kitchens. In GardeMo today we made Spaghetti Squash with peas and then learned to make crepes for our Cheese Souffle with crepes and Tomato Coulis (coolie). I got the make the Coolis-which turned out very well I am told, lol. I also made a few crepes. There is definitely a learning curve to doing those, but a learnable task. I did ok in the end. I also got to make Onion Jam from onions left over from yesterday that broke down during carmelization. Chef Pete had wanted to make French Onion Soup, but the onions did not turn out well. Chef told me what he thought should be in it and I went to task without a recipe! I took the onions, added chicken broth, red wine vinegar, honey and a bouquet of cinnamon sticks, cloves and white peppercorns. Chef Pete said "Nice save!". I was pleased with myself! We also made a Bechamel Sauce for Chicken Pot Pies we are having tomorrow. MEP! (Mise en Place or gathering your stuff).
Hot Plate made Shrimp Scampi Provencal style (a broth with red and green peppers, tomatoes, onions and olives) with pasta.
Dessert was Espresso Granita, Tropical Sorbet all resting in Tuiles (tweel) cookies. To go with all this wonderful food, we had a Cote de Rhone white wine.
It rained in Denver most of the day so I drove to school. When I got home, I did a little baking for Carl. I made Lemon Muffins with a Lemon Glaze. They are tastey! Hope the guests like them!
I sat outside for an hour with Carl and his guests, enjoying a glass of wine with them. It ended up a lovely evening, albeit humid from the rain. The patio is so pretty with all the flowers Carl has planted, redwood tables and chairs and four big umbrellas.
I have to admit that I am posting late because my computer did not save my post the first time, so I had to redo the post. Hopefully this comes out ok, lol. Good night to all!!
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