The art of cuisine is probably as old as
civilization itself. But it wasn’t until the late 19th century and the early
20th century, with the proliferation of journalistic media, that celebrity
chefs started rising. When television came along, cookery shows displayed the
talent of these chefs and live shows further enhanced their appeal. They became
household names and people like me started dreaming of their kind of work and
living their kind of life. So let’s take a look at two of the most famous
celebrity chefs in history and find out what we can learn from them.
Auguste
Escoffier
Let’s start with Frenchman Auguste Escoffier
who lived from 1846 to 1935. Ranked among the most influential cooks ever,
Escoffier brought the conventional French cooking techniques to modern
standards. Escoffier’s techniques were actually built on the style of Marie-Antoine
Carem, another famous chef who is credited with codifying haute cuisine. All
Escoffier did was simplify Careme’s elaborate style. But, being a restaurateur
as well as a culinary writer, Escoffier was among the earliest celebrity chefs.
There were also five mother sauces for which Escoffier codified recipes.
Escoffier’s book “Le Guide Culinaire” is still
used as a reference as a guide for cooking and as a cookbook. His techniques
continue to influence chefs across the world. But arguably, Escoffier’s greatest
contribution was making cooking a respectable profession by bringing in
discipline and order. He was given the title“King of chefs and chef of kings”
-- earlier bestowed on Careme -- making him France’s most prominent chef in the
early 20th century. He was the secret behind the success of the
Paris Ritz and London’s erstwhile Carlton Hotel, both originally part of the
Ritz-Carlton group.
Anthony
Bourdain
From the past let’s come to a more recent
period, the time of American Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018). As much as Bourdain
was known for his cuisines, he was also a major media figure. He has written
many bestselling books on food including “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in
the Culinary Underbelly”, and also essays and articles that have appeared in
various leading newspapers and publications.
But Bourdain really became a household name
with his TV shows, primarily “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” that ran from
2005 to 2012. It all started with “The Cook’s Tour” (2002-2003), which combined
his culinary adventures with travels to various destinations of the world. His
final TV show was “Parts Unknown”, where he focused on the politics and
cultures of exotic regions along with the cuisine. One episode even featured
the then US President Barack Obama. Apart from his own TV programs, he also
appeared in other shows including reality shows such as Top Chef, and created
YouTube videos as well.
