Auguste Escoffier

Auguste Escoffier (1846 - 1935) set standards for classical French cuisine, but had a broader influence on the culinary arts in the West. As Julia Child, who never met him in person commented in an introduction to an American edition of his autobiography, [his greatest contribution was] making the art of being a cook respectable. Escoffier came from a modest background himself, so he was very interested in being seen as having a serious profession. He had the highest standards for the quality and perfection of his food, and at the same time, he was very concerned with the atmosphere in the kitchen.

He became a revolutionary against the "Grande Cuisine" culinary standards of the time, which used such complex saucing and garniture that the main ingredient of a dish were often unrecognizable. Above all, keep it simple.

Early life
His father and grandfathers were blacksmiths. Two of his uncles were cooks and one an innkeeper. His aunt married the owner of an Italian cafe.

As a boy, he had no interest in being a chef, but wanted to be a sculptor. Escoffier's grandmother, however, was a fine cook whose every gesture fascinated him; he used her recipes throughout his long career. He recounts his first cooking exprience, at the age of ten, watching her make coffee &mdash; an unusual treat at the time &mdash waiting for her to leave, and replicating her moments. Later, at a gathering of her friends, where each boasted of her special way of making coffee, he claimed it was not hard, and explained how he did so. After scolding, and then laughing, kissed him and whispered "you'll make a good cook!"

She was right.

His father was At the age of 12, he began his culinary apprenticeship in his uncle's restaurant in Nice, and then went to another apprenticeship in Paris at the age of 19. As opposed to previous chefs of renown, all his career was spent in public restaurants and hotels, rather than in clubs or in private service, so his work became well-known.

As he moved from apprenticeship into practice,