Although George A. Escoffier died more than sixty five years ago he is to this day considered the father of modern French cooking. Born in a village near Nice, he started his training at his uncle’s restaurant in Nice. At nineteen he went to study at one of the most fashionable restaurants in Paris. The café Petite Moulin Rouge.

From the restaurant in Paris he went on to what would be considered in modern times the celebrity cooking circuit. Unfortunately he did not have a very good manager. By the time he died in 1935 at the age of 88 he was nearly broke.

His achievements were acclaimed world wide. He was a celebrity and did not know it. He was a man dedicated to the art of cooking. He was not a showman. He was a chef in every sense of the word. He was dedicated to creating a positive working environment for future chefs.

Escoffier was dedicated to bring cooking out of the Stone Age. His book "The Guide Culinaire" was first published in 1903. Since then there has been many thousands of improvements in cooking but this one book, which I received as a graduation present in 1986, has stood the test of time and is considered a must in the education of a chef.

In many ways Escoffier was able to communicate ideas to all of us that we still use today. In this article I am going to give you some information that could make things clearer when you read a recipe.

• Brown and white stocks can be made from beef, veal, chicken, game and fish; these are basics for making the thickened gravies and basic sauces. For brown stock you would cook the bones before you add the water and for white stock you would add them to the water without browning them.

• Consumes are the same as bouillons and stocks specially clarified. The clarification process involves slow cooking the stock for several hours. There are many types of clarification depending on what kind of stock you are using and what kind of flavor you are looking for.

• Mirepoix is an aromatic flavoring made up of spices and vegetables.

• Courts-bouillons and Blancs are cooking liquors for fish, meat and vegetables.

• Garnish is an accompaniment to the dish you are serving. They are not to be outlandish. They are meant to enhance the dish. The garnish can be anything you want as long as it goes with the dish being served.

More to come in the next edition of Escoffier. Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Chef Mike

I did a search in which your website came up. The search was on the French chef, Escoffier. In your document, you indicated his name was Pierre P. Escoffier; however, other websites have his name as Georges Auguste Escoffier (same age, same year of death - 1935).

Which is correct?

Thank you.

Dear reader,

Thank you for taking interest in our web site. Unfortunately I am an amateur writer and this web site is a first time venture. You are correct. I did reference Escoffier as Pierre. His name is George and I do apologize for any confusion. Pierre is his grandson and it was his article written some years ago I used in reference to him.

Chef Mike

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