The Grumpy Chef: Summery Interlude

Friday 22 May 2009

Summery Interlude

Bonsoir mes escargots extrêmement chers scintillant avec du beurre d'ail et un ordre latéral de baguette de beurre et comment sont vous ce week-end chaleur-rempli de vacances de banque ?

Well I hope you have languished in the rarely present sunshine today...I know I haven't so I am safe in the knowledge that the majority of you have and there was obviously no need to ask the previous question.

I, obviously, have been working my little arse off in the catering underbelly that is the kitchen...producing delectable delights for you work-shy layabouts in the hope that I might chance upon an ounce of daylight to see me through to my next day off. Undoubtedly you can imagine that I didn't! At least 'morons' see the light of day. Even if it is grovelling to the masses and whimpering when they are told off for forgetting the micro-herb salad with truffle oil for table 2! Bloody Idiots, even my daughter could remember that. Christ, she even remembers how to make Fairy Cakes and when they should be removed from the oven on completion of there baking and she is only four!!!

If only I had been made redundant around this time of year and not in the freezing 'British Hell' of January! I would have been lying on the lawn today, chilled Pimms in one hand, Prime Scotch Beef burger in the other with a dash of Lea and Perrins and a grilled slice of J.S.Baileys Mature Cheddar. Maybe even a thick slice of Ayshire Bacon, crisp to the bite, culminating in a sharp, smooth and yet salty taste! You got to admit, you really cannot beat food porn!

Well, main post tomorrow my little Langoustines. Just thought a little taster would keep you fulfilled for the next 24 hours...Maybe even entice you into definitely reading tomorrow's post.

Bonne nuit mes bucardes et moules somnolentes. Puits de sommeil.

Le Chef Grincheux

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Chef Alain Ducasse

Alain Ducasse (born 13 September 1956) is a Monégasque chef. He formerly held French nationality. He operates a number of restaurants including Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester which holds three stars (the top ranking) in the Michelin Guide.

Ducasse was born on a farm in Castel-Sarrazin in southwestern France. In 1972, when he was sixteen, Ducasse began an apprenticeship at the Pavillon Landais restaurant in Soustons and at theBordeaux hotel school. After this apprenticeship, he began work at Michel Guérard’s restaurant in Eugénie-les-Bains while also working for Gaston Lenôtre during the summer months. In 1977, Ducasse started working as an assistant at Moulin de Mougins under legendary chef Roger Vergé, creator of Cuisine du Soleil, and learned the Provençal cooking methods for which he was later known.

Ducasse's first position as chef came in 1980 when he took over the kitchens at L’amandier in Eugène Mougin. One year later, he assumed the position of head chef at La Terrasse in the Hôtel Juana in Juan-les-Pins. In 1984, he was awarded two stars in the Michelin Red Guide. In that same year, Ducasse was the only survivor of a Learjet crash that nearly took his life.

In 1986, Ducasse was offered the Chef position at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, with management including the hotel's Le Louis XV. After assuring himself that the Hotel's other restaurant operations were operating well, Ducasse continued to run management.

In 1988, Ducasse expanded beyond the restaurant industry and opened La Bastide de Moustiers, a twelve-bedroom country inn in Provence and he began attaining financial interests in other Provence hotels. On 12 August 1996, the Alain Ducasse restaurant opened in Le Parc – Sofitel Demeure Hôtels in the XVIe arrondissement (16th district) of Paris, France. The Red Guide awarded the restaurant three stars just eight months after opening.

Ducasse came to the United States and in June 2000 opened the Alain Ducasse restaurant in New York City's Essex House Hotel at 160 Central Park South, receiving the Red Guide's three stars in December 2005, in the first Red Guide for NYC. That restaurant closed in 2007. In early 2008, Ducasse opened Adour, at the St. Regis Hotel on 16th and K Street in Washington, DC, and has also opened a more casual Bistro Benoit New York, at 60 West 55th Street.

Ducasse became the first chef to own restaurants carrying three Michelin Stars in three cities. The New York restaurant was dropped from the 2007 Michelin Guide because the restaurant was scheduled to close. Ducasse has become known through his writing and influences. Ducasse is also the only chef to hold 19 Michelin stars throughout his career (Masterchef 2010)

Ducasse was a French citizen by birth. However, on 17 June 2008, he became a naturalized citizen of Monaco. Since Monegasque nationality law does not allow dual citizenship, he immediately lost his French citizenship as a result. He chose Monegasque citizenship in order to take advantage of the principality's very low tax rates.

Alain Ducasse's restaurants, cooking schools, cookbooks, and consulting activities had revenues of $15.9 million in 2002. Since that time, Ducasse has been expanding his reach. Alain Ducasse has also opened a cooking school for the general public in Paris and another for chefs (ADF), which also works for the European Space Agency to develop astronaut meals to be taken into space. Ducasse has also authored numerous books, with the most famous being Alain Ducasse Culinary Encyclopaedia.