French Cuisine A Brief History

The Origins of French Cuisine The history of French ascendency in the culinary arts can be traced to the Italians. As the 15th century dawned, the highest of Renaissance culture flourished at Florence.

Medieval Fare - ITALY Prosperity that reached beyond the very small royal population lent itself to dining as entertainment, in which common foods were decorated and flavored not for the purpose of hiding food which was turning bad, but for emphasizing those flavors allowed by improved storage techniques and new discoveries in food preparation.

Mushrooms, truffles, garlic, and otherwise infrequently used vegetables appeared Some of them carved artistically - while pasta creations became filled and layered (lasagna, ravioli, manicotti, etc) Accompanied, among the wealthy, with an expensive show of table finery, Venetian glassware, porcelain, and precious metals. An incredible assortment of pastries and sweet things would then follow these visual feasts.

FRANCE Italian born, Catherine de Medici ("MED-a-chee"), daughter of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, arrived in France in the 1540's to become the bride of the future King Henri II. In her entourage were cooks skilled in the ways of Florence.

She brought with her also the expectation that ladies would be in regular attendance at sumptious feasts, and would dress in fashionable (and revealing) attire when doing so. Dinner, in France, was to become Theater. Not only did she bring fine cuisine - she brought the Italian banking system, theatrical comedy, and ballet.

La Varenne France is accredited with the recording of culinary instructions and details. The result of the culinary explosion was to produce, in 1652, a book entitled "Le Cuisine François", written by France's premier chef, La Varenne. Detailed instructions appeared in this book, the recipes listed alphabetically, with the introduction of new techniques, such as the use of the roux as a sauce thickener rather than the common use of bread for the purpose.

LOUIS XIV With the ascent of Louis XIV, the meaning of sumptuous dining took another leap in extravagance at his palace at Versailles. The "fork" began a regular appearance, and instead of all the food appearing all at once (much of which would become cold) Louis introduced the idea of dining in a series of steps, or courses. Cooks became specialized, and strange looking containers and instruments appeared to better prepare individual things.

FRENCH REVOLUTION During this period the greatest of French chefs appeared - Marie-Antoine Carême. A frustrated student of architecture, he would put architectural methods into food and its presentation: bridges made of confection, pastry fashioned into Greek temples, etc., and much of it done on a grand scale.

Sketch by Carmene

THE 20TH CENTURY From the 20th century, two French chefs stand out: Montagné and Escoffier. Montagné composed the excellent "Larousse Gastronomique" in 1938, the basic encyclopedia of French gastronomy. His contribution was to turn French cuisine away from "architectural" presentations toward simplified decoration and shortened menus, and he adopted "Russian" service.

Georges-Auguste Escoffier Escoffier then polished the edges of what we know as the grande cuisine of France - the only structured and organized system of gastronomy in the world.

1950’s - 60’s, 70’s Nouvelle Cuisine In the late 1950s young French chefs led by Boçuse, Guérard, and Chapel invented a lighter and more free style which would be called "nouvelle cuisine" (1).

Late 20th Century - Nouvelle Cuisine

This style replaced traditional heavy sauces with reductions of stocks and cooking liquids, the presentation of small portions, and visual artistry on over-large plates.

French Cuisine French cuisine today is a combination of traditional and nouvelle, to the great delight of everyone around the world who appreciates what French cuisine has become since its origin by an Italian female with the name of Medici.

Artistry

New Emphasis on Ingredients Landmark event in modern North American cooking was the opening of ALICE WATER’S restaurant, CHEZ PANISSE in California, in Her philosophy was based on the premiss that good food requires the best ingredients.

Modern Food Service Operations Industry has grown to more than 60,000 restaurants in Canada alone Dramatic growth and diversification is due in part to the Industrial Revolution as well as the social and economic changes it wrought: New technologies New foods New concerns New consumers

MODERN TECHNOLOGY Changes in technology since 1900 have played an important role in the changes in food preparation in modern society Gas and electric ranges were not widely available until the early 1900’s

Modern equipment has enable many food service operations to change their production methods. Research and technology continue to produce sophisticated tools for the kitchen Text combination oven

Food Product Development Refrigeration Preservation freeze drying freezing canning vacuum packaging

Convenience

As preservation techniques became less rare and more affordable: The era of convenience foods and fast food began to evolve.

International Influence As travel became easier in the middle of the 20th century and as immigrants travelled to North America: Awareness of taste regional dishes began to grow Chefs became more knowledgeable and travelled more frequently

The Classical Brigade The Executive Chef - the manager who is responsible for all the operations of the kitchen including; food production, menu planning, purchasing, and cost control.

2. Chef de Cuisine - in charge of a specific department in a large operation. Each restaurant in a large establishment may have its own Chef de Cuisine. 3. Sous Chef - Responsible for the actual food production. Reports to the Chef de Cuisine or the Executive Chef.

Station Chefs 4. Saucier - prepares sauces, stews, hors d’oeuvres, and saute foods to order. 5. Poissonier - The fish cook. 6. Entremetier - the vegetable cook. Vegetables, soups, starches, and eggs. 7. Garde Manger - Prepares cold items, such as salads, dressings, and buffet items. 8. Rotisseur - prepares roasts and braised meats. large kitchens will have a separate Grillardin to prepare grilled meats and deep fried foods. 9. Tournant - relief cook. Replaces station cooks as needed. 10. Aboyeur/Expediter - liaison between the servers and the line cooks.

Patissier 11. The Pastry Chef - A specialized culinary field. The pastry chef reports directly to the Chef or executive Chef.

The Modern Kitchen Smaller establishments have a condensed version of the classical brigade. The working Chef is responsible for the operations of the “Back of the House”. The B of H staff is made up of line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers.