Les Amis d'Escoffier Society of New York Auguste Escoffier King of Chefs 1846-1935 Auguste Escoffier, "The Chef of Kings and The King of Chefs," was born in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet, France, on October 28, 1846. His career in cookery began at the age of 12 when he entered into apprenticeship in his uncle's restaurant, in Nice. Escoffier went on to another apprenticeship at the age of 19, this time working in Paris. Escoffier was the first great chef who worked directly for the public throughout his entire career. Prior to this, the great French chefs were to be found in the kitchens of royalty and nobility, as was Carême, or at work in private clubs, like Alexis Soyer. Escoffier was never in private employ. From his apprenticeship in his uncle's restaurant in Nice to his collaborations with Cesar Ritz, which marked the height of his career, Escoffier's talents were in the service of cooking and his customers.

Among those customers were kings, heads of state, and many stars of the London and Paris Opera. His career is legendary, in terms of the hotels in which he worked (among them the Savoy and Carlton of London), the contributions that he made to the aesthetics of gastronomy, and, perhaps most importantly, the revolutionary changes he made in upgrading the culinary arts. Before Escoffier's time, the Grande Cuisine was laden with excess — overly complicated recipes, ponderously extravagant dinners, sauces and garnishes that disguised main ingredients nearly beyond recognition. In accordance with his admonition, "above all, keep it simple," Escoffier developed a new gastronomic philosophy, a sense of finely honed and highly refined simplicity in dining, ideals that have been espoused by the finest chefs of the twentieth century. Escoffier's contributions to the culinary arts range far beyond those innovations that are immediately apparent to the eyes and palate of the connoisseur. He created the brigade system eliminating the chaotic, unpleasant atmosphere that once reigned in hotel and restaurant kitchens.

Repulsed by the foul language and lack of concern for cleanliness all too common in nineteenth-century kitchens, Escoffier established sanitation standards and instilled in his subordinates a real respect for the wholesomeness of the food they served. He was one of the earliest chefs of note to have a sincere interest in preserving the nutritional value of the foods he prepared and served. Escoffier also had an expertise in food science and was a pioneer in food preservation and in developing sauces that could be bottled for the homemaker. Escoffier promoted the belief that food service professionals at all levels should be dedicated to improving their skills and general knowledge through education. He wrote numerous articles and books on cookery, the most famous of his works being Le Guide Culinaire and A Guide to Modern Cookery. On February 12th, 1935, a few days after the death of his wife, Escoffier died at his home, La Villa Fernand, 8 bis Avenue de la Costa, Monte Carlo, in his eighty-ninth year. He is buried in the family vault at Villeneuve-Loubet.

Escoffier History & Tradition | Escoffier School of Culinary Auguste Escoffier, the legendary French chef known as the King of Chefs, Chef of Kings About Auguste Escoffier The lineage of finely trained chefs can be traced to Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and modernized traditional French cooking methods. Apprenticed in a kitchen at 13 years of age and consumed with ambition to become the best, he moved steadily upward in this assigned trade to become known as the King of Chefs, Chef of Kings. No other figure has done more to contribute to the history of culinary arts and raise the stature of cooking to a highly respected career path. Curriculum Consistent with Escoffier’s Standards of Excellence Watch this video about the history of Auguste Escoffier VIEW TRANSCRIPT Welcome to the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. The culinary field is a fast moving world where skill passion and a zeal for perfection all intersect. It's not for everyone, but for those savoring a truly extraordinary career or is an enthusiast the experience can be life-changing.

At the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, our promise to provide you with the most professional training begins with the name in our name: Auguste Escoffier - the father of modern cookery. This French chef, who lived at the turn of the last century, is on par with and Edison and Einstein in the transformative influence he had in his field. Escoffier with his methods, techniques and recipes, revolutionized the culinary world. His influence is not only infused into everything we do at the Escoffier School, but still guides some of the most celebrated chefs today. “I think that Auguste Escoffier is really sort of the backbone to almost everything we do as Chefs.” “Beforehand the modern restaurant as we think about today didn't exist.” “Escoffier to me means so much because everything that I do on it on a daily basis he was the person that said that in motion.” “He was a genius in cooking at the time. He was a visionary. He was a great communicator. He touched the lives of both rich and poor with his warmth and artistry.” “Escoffier could be likened to Steve Jobs.

He may have been that Steve Jobs and his era.” “For the culinary world, Escoffier is I mean he's the big guy. If we had to put a face on the Mount Rushmore of food that would be him. He's the president, he’s the George Washington, whatever you want to think of it. He's that guy for the food world.” In 1846, Auguste Escoffier was born in the French village of Villenueuve-Loubet where the Escoffier Foundation and museum exists today in his childhood home. While he showed promise as an artist, his true talent became apparent when he apprenticed at his uncle’s restaurant in Nice. At that time cooking was not a profession held in high regard. It was a hot, thankless job; rife with un-cleanliness and disorder. And so it might have stayed, if not for Escoffier. After a stint as an Army chef, he reorganized the kitchen into a military-like brigade system with a clear chain of command headed by supervisors overseeing workers with specific duties in specific locations.

“It's basically an army tackling the jobs, and he's one that kind-of said: ‘Hey here's the general and here's the privates .Go at it.’” “There's a lot of things in the kitchen and I think people don't even realize our in place because of Escoffier. You know, the fact that we have a system where there's a Chef de Cuisine, and a sous-chef under that, and chef de partis under that. Kind of the hierarchy of the kitchen and its staff is really because of him.” “He was very, very good with the atmosphere in the kitchen. He brought pride to the profession. He stressed the importance to run a clean, hygienic, and safe kitchen. We talk about sanitation to this kitchen, he was well ahead at this time. He believed that a well-trained chef, produced truly exceptional food.” In 1890 Escoffier a worked with Cesar Ritz and the famous Ritz-Carlton brand. With Ritz, Escoffier transformed the new Savoy Hotel in London into the place to be seen and experience culinary excellence.

The pair would eventually move on to manage The Ritz hotel in Paris and the Carlton Hotel in London each time with growing success. Escoffier made many innovations at these hotels and changed the way food was served at the table. “He abolished the system where all the food came out all the same time and he created service like we do now which is the food comes out as the guest requested in the order in which it should be eaten. He created that and I think that that's important to note that not only was he a culinarian, his influence spread to the front of the house.” He invented countless new dishes often inspired by guests of the hotels. “I love the fact Escoffier, when Dame Nellie Melba came, the opera singer, he designed a desert just for her which is Peach Melba, of course. And then five years later invents Melba toast so the idea that some of these recipes he’s created are, you know, they're in our lexicon of culinary language now.” Escoffier was also the first chef to organize the kitchens of the luxury transatlantic ocean liners of Europe. On several occasions he was also asked to plan events and cook for kings and queens.

He was fascinated by Food Science particularly methods of food preservation. He pioneered the practice of canning tomatoes, help develop the bouillon cube and created his own series bottled sauces and pickles. “Escoffier to me is the father of modern cooking as crazy as we can get with food today, I mean if you look at molecular gastronomy or the different food movements that are going on in this industry are the ones who are using Escoffier as a base.” And he held exceedingly modern views in appreciating the symbiotic relationship between food supplier and kitchen. “Escoffier was by far an innovator. Today our focus, you hear that a lot today, you hear that a lot at the Escoffier school. “Farm to table, sustainable agriculture, utilizing natural, wholesome ingredients. Well Escoffier believe in that back then. He was getting asparagus from France from the source from the farmer from the people that were producing those asparagus, so he already had that in mind. He was way ahead of his time.” He was prolific. He authored over 5,000 recipes in his eight landmark books some of which are still published today. Le Guide Culinaire is today considered the Bible of classic cuisine.

“Escoffier wrote and documented all these thousands of recipes in one snippet of time in in the world of cooking, but he was smart enough to know that that time changes and people's tastes change and he allows for so much flexibility in his food in his recipes. So he had a real vision of what food was at the time that he wrote it but what food could be with some evolution.” But Escoffier didn't just focus on food, but also on the social concerns of people inside and outside his kitchens. “His mantra was that you start every day fresh, so he gave all his food to charities. To the poor and paid for it to be transported and he was the first humanitarian. He was the first one to understand that cooks get injured. Cooks are retiring chefs. He felt a connection to them and I think that that in this day and age is pretty remarkable.” Escoffier died on February 12 1935. Earning the moniker “King of chefs” and “chef of Kings.” His influence was substantial then and continues to live on. “I have the honor to be the president of the Disciple of Escoffier International USA.

It’s a premiere gastronome society that was established in France in 1954 to maintain a good name and tradition of French cuisine. And of course their goal is very simple to honor the memory of Escoffier in France and around the world to promote and preserve his work, to maintain tradition because it's very important to maintain the tradition and to promote culinary education and apprenticeships to young people and to motivate them to become professional chefs.” “If I could describe Escoffier in one word, it would be foundation. So to me, he is the foundation of cooking. There's a lot of historical relevance to what he's done, but he’s still relevant to me today. And I use his cookbooks and some of his ideal severy single day.

“To say that he’s the father of modern cooking, I think is almost an understatement.” “Escoffier means a lot of different things but first and foremost Inspiration.” “The base where all modern cuisine that we do now comes from is what Escoffier was doing a hundred years ago.” “That foundation of being a chef, how to act, the setups in the kitchen, even even being inspired by the food of the land in seasons and things like that you know all that is referenced through Escoffier. And how he cooked back in the day.” We are proud to work with Escoffier foundation and museum and Michelle Escoffier, great-grandson of Auguste Escoffier and a member of our Advisory Board to continue this legacy of excellence. We welcome you to our school in the spirit of Escoffier and sincerely hope you take the next step and become part and something bigger than yourself. HIDE TRANSCRIPT Curriculum Consistent with Escoffier’s Standards of Excellence “La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.” (Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.) ― Auguste Escoffier Auguste Escoffier left behind a legacy still enjoyed by professional chefs everywhere.

He invented some 5,000 recipes, published Le Guide Culinaire textbook and developed approaches to kitchen management. Culinary institutions and famous chefs around the world continue to teach his recipes, techniques and methods. We proudly offer a curriculum consistent with Auguste Escoffier's teachings and standards of excellence. Testimonial: Vanessa M. House "The reason I went to Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts was to make it a career and not just a job and living paycheck to paycheck [Vanessa is a kitchen veteran]." "When I was first starting I was worried that I wasn’t going to get as much out of it as I wanted to, but I got that much plus more! It opened my eyes to all these techniques that make my food the best I’ve ever cooked in my life! The school provided the methodology behind the basic recipes of everything that I needed to know for production, like how to make a béchamel. My Chef Educator instilled the confidence in me to give me the proper tools and ability to work in any kitchen." — Vanessa M. House, Culinary Arts Graduate, Line Cook, West End Tavern Read MoreHide Vanessa M.

House "The reason I went to Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts was to make it a career and not just a job and living paycheck to paycheck [Vanessa is a kitchen veteran]. When I was first starting I was worried that I wasn’t going to get as much out of it as I wanted to, but I got that much plus more! It opened my eyes to all these techniques that make my food the best I’ve ever cooked in my life! The school provided the methodology behind the basic recipes of everything that I needed to know for production, like how to make a béchamel. My Chef Educator instilled the confidence in me to give me the proper tools and ability to work in any kitchen." — Vanessa M. House, Culinary Arts Graduate, Line Cook, West End Tavern Affiliation with Auguste Escoffier Foundation Michel Escoffier, the great-grandson of Auguste Escoffier and the President of the Auguste Escoffier Foundation Affiliation with Auguste Escoffier Foundation We are proud of our affiliation with the prestigious Auguste Escoffier Foundation and Le Musée Escoffier de l’Art Culinaire in France.

Michel Escoffier, the great-grandson of Auguste Escoffier and the President of the Auguste Escoffier Foundation, is our Advisory Board Member. International Advisory Committee Members BBC Food - Escoffier: Britain's first master chef Escoffier: Britain's first master chef By Hannah Briggs BBC Food Michel Roux Jnr tastes a classic Escoffier-inspired dish at the Ritz Food myth He may not be a household name but Frenchman Georges Auguste Escoffier changed the face of British cuisine - only he did so more than 100 years ago. "Escoffier put a love of great food at the heart of modern Britain," says French chef Michel Roux Jr. "He revolutionised the professional kitchen and brought glamour and drama into the dining room." The chef pays homage to one of his greatest food heroes in the BBC Four programme The First Master Chef: Michel Roux on Escoffier . Born in France in 1846, Escoffier introduced French haute cuisine to some of London's finest hotels, such as the Savoy, the Carlton and the Ritz.

His cookbook, Le Guide Culinaire, is still considered the go to cookery manual for many chefs today. Just how did the son of a Provencal blacksmith change the face of British cuisine? Kitchen hygiene "At the beginning of Escoffier's career, cooking was not a profession held in high esteem," writes Escoffier's protege, Eugène Herbodeau in his 1955 biography of the chef. "This was partly to the laxity which could so easily creep in and also to the rigorous conditions of work." But Escoffier helped transform 19th Century kitchens into respectable places to work. He banned smoking and drinking and even asked a French doctor to develop a healthy barley drink to relieve the unbearable heat of the kitchen. "The hat and the neckerchief was introduced to prevent sweat drops from dropping into the preparation," says Michel Escoffier, great-grandson of Escoffier. Most importantly, Escoffier brought a sense of calm and order to the kitchen, explains Mr Escoffier Jr.

Drinking and smoking was commonplace for chefs working in kitchens in 1865 "When he was very annoyed at someone he would actually walk out of the kitchen and then come back and then explain what made him angry without having to shout." Watch The First Master Chef: Michel Roux on Escoffier on BBC Four at 21:00 GMT Perhaps one of Escoffier's greatest contributions was the sense of pride he brought to cuisine, explains Michel Roux who cites Escoffier as a key influence in the day-to-day running of his French restaurant Le Gavroche in London. "He was also trying to make a better life for us chefs," says Mr Roux. Escoffier always looked out for the welfare of his staff, explains Mr Escoffier Jr who is President of the Auguste Escoffier Foundation and museum in Southern France. "He wanted everyone to come out and look like somebody. "And if the young cooks couldn't afford a pair of trousers he would even buy them for them." Brigade system On arrival in England in 1890, Escoffier partnered up with Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz and became head chef of the Savoy hotel.

Maintaining a well-organised kitchen was key for Escoffier who could be managing up to 60 or 80 members of staff at any one time. Auguste Escoffier would tour his kitchen to check every detail before service "To guarantee a room full of individual diners could get what they want when they wanted, he created a whole new way of organising the professional kitchen," says Mr Roux Jr. "The brigade system." He developed a whole new way of organising the professional kitchen” End Quote Michel Roux Jr French chef and owner of Le Gavroche restaurant Food orders taken by waiting staff are immediately put through to the kitchen, where the head chef calls them out to his different teams. "The rush hour is not the signal for a rush of words," was a familiar Escoffier phrase, writes Mr Herbodeau. He even replaced the word "l'aboyeur", meaning the person who "barked" the food orders, with ''annonceur" or the announcer. Much like the division of labour in car manufacture, Escoffier divided up his kitchen staff into specialist groups or "parties".

One to prepare sauces, one for fish, starters, soups, pastries and so on. The aim was to cut down on waiting times and to ensure that food was served efficiently at exactly the right temperature. "We expect the food to arrive at the table at the same time, regardless of what we order," says Mr Roux. "They come to the table because there is a system and that system is down to Escoffier." Culinary reform "Surtout, faites simples." "Above all, keep it simple" is one Escoffier's famous maxims. He realised that haute cuisine must take into account the basic rules of nutrition, and refused to garnish dishes with excessive trimmings that were difficult for people to digest. Auguste Escoffier believed every aspect of a dish was equally as important "His first concern was the pleasure and comfort of the customer," writes Mr Herbodeau. He wanted his food to be light and savoury, made only with the freshest ingredients. "La sauce fait passer le poisson," is another classic Escoffier phrase, writes Mr Herbodeau. In other words, the fish should not be inferior to the sauce that accompanies it.

Escoffier was the first to bring stock cubes to Britain. He abolished the practice of boiling meat or preparing it in flour. Instead, he developed sauces and stocks such as 'le fond de veau clair' using meat extracts that were easier to digest and more nutritious. "He made it his duty to serve rapidly a nourishing meal which lost nothing of its artistry or quality in being stripped of its former trimmings," writes Mr Herbodeau. Bespoke menus When it came to composing a balanced menu, Escoffier always strove for perfection. "The setting-up of a presentable menu is rarely accomplished without lengthy labour and much thought, and for all that the result is not always to my satisfaction," Escoffier is reported as saying in Mr Herbodeau's book. Escoffier took great care to compose well-balanced menus such as this one from the Savoy in 1895 Despite his concerns, Escoffier succeeded in crafting menus with a subtler balance of flavours, to replace Britain's heavily laden banquets of roasts, puddings and pies. His menus would also reflect the individual needs of his diners, explains Mr Roux Jr.

"He would manage his customer's whole meal asking for their preferences and budget. "He would then create an entire set menu for them." For a dinner held at the Carlton hotel, London for the Japanese Embassy and Japanese bank officials, Escoffier famously created a "Japanese Salad". Served with fresh fruit and cream heaped into the heart of a lettuce, the dish was a great success. During his time at the Carlton in 1889, Escoffier was also the first to offer an à la carte menu in Britain. His kitchens were so efficient that he could cater for up to 500 people at a time. He also took great pride in the presentation of his food on paper, explains Mr Roux Jr. "Escoffier's menus were always written in French, he felt English made his dishes sound unattractive. "He felt he was holding these new diners hands as he led them to the greatest heights of gastronomy." Dining in style Lady de Grey was thought to be the first lady to dine in public at the Savoy But Escoffier not only revolutionised the way British cuisine was cooked, he also helped change dining culture.

Prior to Escoffier there was not really a dining scene in England, explains historian Kate Williams. Continue reading the main story Escoffier's signature desserts Pêche Melba - Inspired by a performance of Lohengrin, starring Australian opera singer Nellie Melba, Escoffier designed a peaches and cream dessert served in an ice sculpted swan Bombe Néro - A gourmet dessert made from sponge, caramel, ice cream and chocolate truffles that are coated in meringue, baked in the oven and served with a little meringue cup of flaming rum on the top Fraises Sarah - A dish of strawberries, pineapple and Curaçao sorbet inspired by French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was reputed to be Escoffier's lover "Everything was done at home," she says. "If you saw a woman on her own in a restaurant in Victorian times, she was fair game and she was there for custom." But Cesar Ritz and Escoffier changed dining conventions by turning the Savoy into a feminine and respectable place.

"It was somewhere that ladies could go without fear of being bothered or the suggestion that they might be issuing some kind of invitation." Lady de Grey, considered to be a key trendsetter in 19th Century London society, was one of the first women to have a lunch party at the Savoy. "Once she'd done it, everyone else had to join in... suddenly the Savoy became incredibly popular for ladies, for couples, people on their own. "The British dining culture was born." Escoffier's legacy endures to this day not only because he turned chefs into cooks, says Mr Roux Jr but also because he changed eaters into diners. "Britain today is a nation of true food lovers, for that I believe we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Auguste Escoffier." Follow BBC Food on Pinterest and on twitter: @BBCFood More on This Story Is it really worth worrying about food miles? Related Stories 29 OCTOBER 2012, BBC FOOD Related Internet links Auguste Escoffier (1846 – 1935) | Les Dames d'Escoffier International, San Diego Chapter.

Auguste Escoffier (1846 – 1935) Auguste Escoffier (1846 – 1935) Auguste Escoffier In early 2013, Dame Candy Wallace attended a meeting in San Francisco of the Executive Advisory Committee of the Escoffier Schools of Culinary Arts, which included Michel Escoffier. Dinner at the University Club with Michel Escoffier Les Dames d’Escoffier proudly wears the name of one of the most innovative chefs in history, whose philosophy and achievements continue to serve as both a model and inspiration to today’s culinary professionals. Georges Auguste Escoffier (28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur, and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. He is a legendary figure among chefs and gourmets, and was one of the most important leaders in the development and popularity of modern French cuisine.

Much of Escoffier’s technique was based on that of Antoine Carême, one of the codifiers of French haute cuisine, but Escoffier’s achievement was to simplify and modernize Carême’s elaborate and ornate style. Referred to by the French press as “Emperor of the world kitchens,” Escoffier was France’s pre-eminent chef in the early part of the 20th century. Alongside the recipes he recorded and invented, another of Escoffier’s contributions to cooking was to elevate it to the status of a respected profession by introducing organized discipline to his kitchens. He organized his kitchens by the brigade de cuisine system, a single integrated unit with each section run by a chef de partie. In 1903, Escoffier published Le Guide Culinaire, which is still used as a major reference work, both in the form of a cookbook and a textbook on cooking, and later published Le Levre des Menus (1912) and Ma Cuisine (1934). He was named a Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur in 1920 and an Officer in 1928 by the Frency government.

Escoffier’s recipes, techniques, and approaches to kitchen management remain highly influential today, and have been adopted by chefs and restaurants not only in France, but also throughout the world. Escoffier’s great-grandson, Michel, has kept this great culinary tradition alive. He is president of the August Escoffier Foundation and Museum in Villeneuve-Loubet near Nice, France. Georges-Auguste Escoffier Georges-Auguste Escoffier From: The gourmet's guide to London. Published 1914. Georges-Auguste Escoffier was a French chef and author who lived from 28 October 1846 to 12 February 1935. He never worked in private homes; his entire career was spent in commercial, public places. He popularized writing out meal menus in the order in which the items would be served. In the kitchen, he rationalised the division of work between teams, and scrubbed people's image of a chef into one that was clean, meticulous, and that didn't drink, smoke or scream. He created dishes such as Tournedos Rossini, Melba Toast and Peach Melba.

Though most of his cooking would be considered overly elaborate by today's standards, for his time, he did simplify things by getting rid of the over-the-top food displays, and reducing the number of courses. One person who worked for Escoffier was Ho Chi Minh, who in 1914 was preparing vegetables for him. Escoffier was born at Villeneuve-sur-Loup (later renamed to Villeneuve-Loubet), 9 miles (15 km) outside of Nice. His father was a blacksmith and a tobacco grower. Escoffier was very slight of build, and his father may not have thought him suited for the blacksmith business. Consequently, in 1859 at the age of 13, the young Georges-Auguste started working for his uncle who, three years previously in 1856, had opened the Restaurant Français in Nice (the restaurant stayed in business until 1910.) In 1865, Escoffier met a Monsieur Bardoux who was visiting Nice.

Bardoux invited him to come to work for him in Paris on Antin Avenue at his "Reine Blanche" restaurant (later to gain fame as the most popular summertime restaurant in France under the name "Petit Moulin Rouge".) Escoffier accepted; by 1867, he had become "Chef Garde-Manger" and by 1870, he had become Chief Sauce Person of the restaurant. In July 1870, Escoffier mobilised as a cook in the French army for the Franco-Prussian War. Not the regular soldiers, though: he was recruited to cook for Marshal Achille Bazaine and other higher-ups stationed on the Rhine. There were two main armies there. One was headed by a Marshal Mac-Mahon, who surrendered his 83,000 soldiers to the Germans on 31 August 1870. This increased the pressure on the remaining army, commanded by Bazaine, forcing it to take refuge inside Metz. Escoffier became part of the besieged French along with 140,000 other French soldiers.

Bazaine surrendered Metz to the Germans on 27 October 1870 (Paris surrendered on 28 January 1871.) Escoffier spent six months at Wiesbaden as a prisoner of war. After the first two months, though, he began working as "chef de cuisine" for Marshal Mac-Mahon and his staff, who were also imprisoned at Wiesbaden (and perhaps overjoyed that Bazaine had finally surrendered so that Escoffier could be sent their way.) Escoffier was freed in April 1871, and returned to Paris. Sadly, Paris was in the middle of the Paris Commune turmoil, and this time, it was a French army that was about to besiege the city he was in. Escoffier left Paris immediately for Versailles, where the French army was organized from, and went back to work for Marshal Mac-Mahon. In 1872, all was settled and he was able to return to civilian life.

From 1872 to 1878, he worked each winter in the south of France, and each summer as chef de cuisine at the Le Petit Moulin Rouge (formerly the "Reine Blanche.") In 1874, he started a friendship with the great actress Sarah Bernhardt and remained a lifelong admirer of her. He created "Pêches L'Aiglon" in her honour, and recorded a recipe he called "Sarah Bernhardt's Favourite Consommé." In 1878, he tried his hand at owing his own restaurant in Cannes, buying a restaurant called "Le Faisan d'Or" (The Golden Pheasant) which he ran for two years. In 1880 (some sources say 1878), he married Delphine Daffis, a publisher's daughter. He and Delphine would have two sons and one daughter. In the same year, he rented out the Golden Pheasant's building, and went to Paris to manage a catering firm called "La Maison Chevet" located in the Palais Royal; the firm looked after the great banquets held at the Palace.

He then worked for Monsieur Paillard at "Restaurant Maire." In 1884, he moved to Monte Carlo to work there at the Grand Hotel, newly opened by César Ritz. His title was "Directeur de Cuisine." During the ensuing summers, he worked in Lucerne, Switzerland at the Hotel National. Opened in 1870, and purpose-built as a hotel, the Hotel National was considered the hotel to be at during the summer in Europe. In 1890, he followed Ritz to London, to help at the Savoy Hotel as Head of Restaurant Services (Delphine and the three children stayed in Monte Carlo.) The Savoy had been opened the previous year, 1889, by Richard D'Oyley Carte, an opera producer, but was losing money. Ritz and Escoffier did a re-opening of the hotel in 1890. At the time, women didn't dine out in public places in the Anglo-Saxon world, only men did. Escoffier changed that at the Savoy.

By now, Escoffier had his own team of trusted workers, and he insisted on contracts that allowed he and his team to work other places for 6 months of the year. He and his team went on to Rome, where he oversaw the opening of the "Grand Hotel" there. In 1897, Escoffier and Ritz resigned from the Savoy owing to tensions with the board, and D'Oyley Carte's wife. In 1896 the duo had opened their own company called the "Ritz Hotel Development Company", which drew on Escoffier's team to help get grand hotels off the ground. Escoffier merely used the freed-up time from the Savoy to oversee preparations for the opening of Ritz Hotel in Paris in the place Vendôme that year. Escoffier was succeeded at the Savoy by François Latry. In 1898, Escoffier returned to London to oversee the opening of the Carlton Hotel in London by their company, which was to take much business away from the Savoy.

In 1902, Ritz had a nervous breakdown and Escoffier along with Ritz's wife had to take over much of the management. In 1904, Escoffier was asked by the Hamburg-Amerika ship line to plan the kitchens for their ocean liners. As part of his involvement, he even cooked for German Kaiser Wilhelm II on the ocean liner called "Imperator." In 1907, his son Paul launched a line of commercially-bottled pickles and sauces under the company name of A. Escoffier Ltd, which were a success. In the summer of 1914, Escoffier was 67 when the First World War broke out. He carried on at the Carlton during the entire war. The first thing he did the instant war broke out was stock provisions for the hotel's kitchen, remembering the food shortages of the 1870 war. His kitchen staff was reduced by a third, as men went off to war and women went off to munitions factories. The first shortage his restaurant faced was meat and poultry. But Escoffier considered flexibility and adaptability the sign of a true chef.

He switched to promoting venison, which was not rationed, braising it to make it tender. Fish was not rationed, but some types became hard to get, so he switched from using sole to the flat fish called "dab", and to get the 40-odd salmon his restaurant required daily, he bypassed all the middle men and arranged direct buying deals with Irish and Scottish fishermen. His son Paul joined the British Expeditionary Force's canteens, and eventually ran the officers' club in Boulogne. Paul had been running Escoffier's side business, A. Escoffier. Without Paul to run it, Escoffier found he couldn't keep it up. He sold some aspects of the business, but kept control of the brand name Escoffier. Aside from that, the war in London was largely uneventful for Escoffier; it was just a constant struggle during those years for staff and adequate food supplies for the restaurant. He had to play "camp counsellor" over and over again for cooks under him who said that cooking haute cuisine was impossible under the circumstances.

On Armistice Day, 11 November 1918, 712 people booked to have dinner that night at the Carlton. That the war had ended officially a few hours before did not instantly change Escoffier's food supplies for later that day. For that night, he invented a dish called "Mignonettes d'agneau Sainte-Alliance", small patties made from lamb, veal, pork and some chicken, ground and mixed with tinned foie gras, breadcrumbs and some chopped truffle to make the meat go further. In November 1919, the French President Raymond Poincaré was in London. Poincaré held a ceremony on 11 November 1919 to vest awards on some French people living in London, and surprised Escoffier by presenting him with the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, making him the first chef ever to receive this award. When he was 73 years old, in 1919 or 1920, Escoffier retired and left London to return to Monte Carlo where his wife and children had been based all those years.

He died there at the age of 89 on 12 February 1935 at his home at 8 bis avenue de la Costa, just 16 days after his wife had Delphine died, and was buried at Villeneuve-Loubet . In 1966, the house he was born in at Villeneuve-Loubet was made into a Culinary Art Museum, an initiative spearheaded by Joseph Donon, one of his former underlings. His memoirs were first published in 1985 in French. Books by Georges-Auguste Escoffier 1884 onwards. Wrote for a magazine called "La Revue de l'Art Culinaire" 1885. Traité sur l'art de travailler les fleurs en cire. (with his wife, Delphine Daffis) 1903. Le guide culinaire (with Philéas Gilbert and Emile Fetu) 1910. Projet d'Assistance Mutuelle pour l'Extinction du Paupérisme 1911 to 1914.

Founded and put out a monthly magazine called "Les Carnets d'Epicure" 1912. Le livre des menus 1927. Le Riz Alumni Profiles | Escoffier School of Culinary Antoinette Williams Chef, Peché Restaurant Antoinette Williams, Culinary Arts graduate, left a job at The Seattle Repertory Theatre to pursue her love of cooking and to get a sense of fulfillment. As a new chef she is excited to grow with the food culture of the city and contribute to it. Williams is ready to make her mark and cook her food. She hopes to continue learning in the kitchen and working in restaurants until she is ready to open her own eatery one day. "The culinary schools in my area were all too big and focused on the expected elements. Then I discovered Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. It was as if I wrote down everything I wanted and the school magically appeared. They had the local and seasonal approach I was looking for with the added bonus of sustainable cooking and the Farm To Table® Experience. I also didn’t want to go to a school where I would get lost in a class of 40 students.

Escoffier was smaller which meant more interaction with my Chef Educator. When I started school I expected to learn how to make unique but classic food, but what I didn’t expect was all the other important things I would learn that I didn’t even know I needed to know. Finding the balance between knowing why certain flavors work together chemically and being able to experiment with non-traditional combinations is one of the most valuable lessons I learned here. I also had the benefit of learning from not only one, but multiple Chef Educators. They were open to my ideas and were able to help me figure out why or why not to make certain choices when cooking. But the real wealth of knowledge was in the kitchen dynamic. School really helped prepare me for the restaurant environment. I learned to work with all personalities in the kitchen. Learning how to cook my food properly when there is a million different things going on around me took some getting used to, but I am so glad I learned how because I now work in a downtown restaurant where I have to do so on a daily basis.” Jeffrey Lammer Jeffrey Lammer Kitchen Manager, Root Down Restaurant Culinary Arts graduate Jeffrey Lammer wasted no time launching his career in Denver’s burgeoning culinary scene.

Following an externship at Root Down, a hip neighborhood spot with eclectic décor and globally influenced seasonal cuisine, Lammer was hired on, primarily running the poaching station for weekend brunches (known as one of the top brunches in Denver). He continued to take on more responsibility: doing prep work, serving as assistant saucier, and working the line. Lammer soon was promoted to Kitchen Manager and officially asked to help open Root Down’s new space at Denver International Airport, the first farm-to-table restaurant in an airport. According to Lammer, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts provides the best – and most practical – culinary education. "Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts taught me to be in touch with the classic dishes, not only from France, but also from Italy and Spain and from around the world. Most of all, it was a concentration on technique. Also, it provided the opportunity to work in a team environment with a bunch of other chefs to put together a meal. That is important. That is what Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts is: prep, put it together, cook, clean, and then you go home. And that is the way a restaurant is.

I’ve worked with a lot of people from other schools and they don’t have as much hands-on experience (not as much lab time). And they are always running around to catch up. Never be afraid to ask questions – that’s important. Be prepared to work really hard every day. There will always be some crisis or something." John Hadala John Hadala Pantry Cook, Il Posto Restaurant When John Hadala, Culinary Arts graduate, first tasted a dish at Denver’s Il Posto, he knew two things instantly: that he just had the best meal of his life and that he wanted to work in that kitchen. Shortly after commencing his official culinary training at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Hadala began interning with the restaurant two days a week. The two-day-a-week internship led to his formal ten-week externship, followed by a well-deserved job offer as a pantry cook. His commitment to learning and working hard every day earned him a place in one of Denver’s best restaurants. "One of the best parts about Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts is they help you along the way to find externships.

I went to Career Services and told them I wanted to work at Il Posto and they basically set it up for me. I went in and talked to the Sous Chef and then started going in two days a week to learn prior to my externship. At the end of my externship, my Sous Chef said that if I gave him a few weeks, he could probably get me a job. The reason I got the job is that, yes, they liked me, I worked hard, but also that one of the other Sous Chefs was leaving for another restaurant. So the timing worked out. You have to patient in small kitchens and you have to let them know how you feel, too. One of the things school taught me was that it is very important to be humble. It is probably the most important trait to becoming a good chef, because if you have a big ego and you think you know everything, then you are not as willing to learn. I think it is important to know that even if you don’t have the skills or the talent right now to make great food, you can still work in a really good restaurant and slowly learn to become a great chef. If you are passionate about food, you can work anywhere you want." Vanessa M.

House Vanessa M. House Line Cook, West End Tavern Vanessa M. House, Culinary Arts graduate, readily admits that she enrolled in school for the promise of the paper. She knew a certificate would further her career. What she didn’t know was how much she didn’t know. As a kitchen veteran (fifteen years experience), Vanessa thought she knew what she was doing. Today, working at Boulder’s West End Tavern, she says she is cooking the best food of her life thanks to the techniques she learned at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. "The reason I went to Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts was to make it a career and not just a job and living paycheck to paycheck. When I was first starting I was worried that I wasn’t going to get as much out of it as I wanted to, but I got that much plus more! I was really more about getting that piece of paper (certificate) as I knew that it would ultimately help me, but I didn’t realize at the time how much I didn’t know and still don’t know. It opened my eyes to all these techniques that make my food the best I’ve ever cooked in my life!

Escoffier provided the methodology behind the basic recipes of everything that I needed to know for production, like how to make a béchamel. Getting my culinary certificate gave me the confidence to know that I could come to Boulder and pick up where I left off before I moved here. I was running kitchens back home and when I came out here my biggest concern was, ‘Can I hack it?’ My Chef Educator instilled that confidence in me to give me the proper tools and ability to work in any kitchen in Boulder. Take it seriously, but also have fun. If you’re working in a kitchen and you’re not learning or having fun, find a different job. There are plenty of them. Live it and breathe it; don’t consider your career an after-school job anymore.

Eat as much food as you can and make as many connections as you can." Lezlie Mills Gibbs Lezlie Mills Gibbs Head Pastry Chef & Co-Kitchen Manager, La Pâtisserie by Luxe Sweets Lezlie Mills Gibbs, Pastry Arts graduate, has recently taken the pastry culture in Austin, Texas, by storm with her new creation “CroBrios.” The release of the new menu item was covered by several Austin media outlets and has started quite the buzz for the croissant/brioche hybrid. "Because of the Cronut frenzy, we've decided to provide something similar to our customers. I've created a hybrid recipe — part croissant, part brioche — to bring CroBrios to Austin. We are very excited and hope that our customers enjoy our take on the Cronut. Attending Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts has directly contributed to my success. For me, the Chef Educators and courses built a foundation of knowledge, confidence and creativity. By working with people who did not attend pastry school, I have found that my experience at the school really did prepare me for my career.

Other schools don't offer students the ability to try different flavor profiles and really work on the presentation aspect and bringing your own personality into it. Because I had the opportunity to try anything in school, I was more confident in bringing different flavor profiles to my cakes and pastries in the shop. My coworkers would also look to me for on the job insights and information because of my schooling." Stacy Walker Stacy Walker Pastry Chef / Partner, Happy Cakes Bakeshop An upbeat Pastry Chef and Pastry Arts graduate Stacy Walker practices her craft at Happy Cakes Bakeshop in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, where she serves as a partner in the business. The small shop deserves its cheery moniker with bright hues, patterned pennant garland, and the quote "Because everyone deserves a little sugar" whimsically painted along the back wall. Before attending Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Walker had a lot of different jobs and careers. She was tired of the corporate life, the nine to five, and having a desk job. Walker had a dream for a retirement job: To have a mountain town bakery and coffee shop. Her husband suggested she goes for it. Why wait for retirement?

“I was seeking part-time work while I was in at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and wanted something with a bakery. A friend’s sister was the original owner of Happy Cakes Bakeshop and was looking for a baker. So, I started as a part-time baker before becoming lead baker, followed by kitchen manager, and then general manager. In the summer of 2012 I became a partner. It happened to be a good time – they were looking for investment, I for growth opportunities; we negotiated, and I bought in. My experience in the Pastry Arts program made all the difference for me. I went into the program as a good baker; I came out a professional baker. Pay attention to what is not said during your training – watch how people are doing things in the kitchen. It is as simple as neatly stacking your eggshells for easy clean up or fluffing a measuring cup in the flour before scooping – the things people don’t think to mention, but help in efficiency and consistency. And, don’t think you know everything; there is always someone who knows more than you do.

School does not make you a chef; you have to earn that title." Diedra Rae LDNY Food, Fine Beverage & Hospitality Auguste Escoffier, 1846 - 1935 The namesake of Les Dames d'Escoffier was the most innovative chef in history, one whose philosophy and accomplishments serve as both model and inspiration to culinary professionals today. Auguste Escoffier began his long and distinguished professional culinary career at the age of thirteen and retired sixty-one years later. During his lifetime, he made French cuisine world famous. Escoffier revolutionized and modernized menus, the art and practice of cooking and the organization of the professional kitchen as well. Three of his cookbooks are still regarded as indispensable references. His culinary innovations included abolishing ostentatious food displays and elaborate garnishes, reducing the number of courses served at a formal meal, lightening sauces and emphasizing seasonal foods. While respecting and preserving the principles of classical cuisine, he simplified its practice, saying, "Because it is simplified on the surface, it does not lose its value.

On the contrary, tastes are constantly being refined and cooking must be refined to satisfy them." He also restructured the kitchen so that it operated as a single integrated unit, a system that prevails today. From medieval times and up to Escoffier, the professional kitchen had been composed of separate independent sections, operating autonomously, which resulted in duplication of labor, waste of food, and inconsistent quality. Escoffier's prestige had the ripple effect of elevating the status of cooks from laborers to artists. Kaiser Wilhelm II once said to Escoffier, "I am the Emperor of Germany, but you are the emperor of chefs." Hotelier Cesar Ritz, whom Escoffier met in 1884, provided not only the stage for the young chef's talents, but also the audience. Ritz's illustrious Savoy and Carlton Hotels´ kitchens were headed by Escoffier during an era when the international clientele included the rich, the powerful and the famous. Ritz and Escoffier redefined restaurants and raised hospitality to unparalleled heights.

Escoffier's contributions to culinary art included founding magazines and writing books; the best-known are guides for the modern chef: Le Guide Culinaire (1903), Le Livre des Menus (1912), and Ma Cuisine (1934). On the social front he organized programs to help feed the hungry and financially assisted retired chefs. Escoffier's professional stature was recognized by the French Government, which made him a Chevalier of the Legion d"Honneur in 1920 and an Officer in 1928. His memoirs have now been translated into English.

Question: Auguste Escoffier was famous for what activity?
Answer: Cookery