Ma Gastronomie

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Summary: The REAL Chef of all time
Review: Fernand Point was the greatest chef of all time. This is especially evident when one considers that his apprentices included Paul Bocuse and Jean Banchet. Point was so driven a cuisinier that he literally died in his kitchen, of a heart attack. During the German occupation of France, rather than serve the German officers, he politely closed his restaurant, one of few to do so. A master of simplicity, it was he who started the lightening of the heavy classical style, while never compromising essential flavors; in fact, he made the essential flavors come through like they never had before! He embodied all the familiar notions one has of an old-school French chef: Tyrant, drinker, and an absolute fanatic for detail and precision. This book is a must for anyone who is, or takes his or her self as a serious gastronome. An absolute must.

Rating:
Summary: Point - The Father of Modern French Cuisine
Review: If you are looking for loads of pretty pictures and precise recipes this book is probably not for you. But if you have an interest in the true origins of modern French cuisine, herein lie the recipes and the history of one of the most influential chefs of the 20th century. From a small town eighteen miles south of Lyon, he gained three Michelin stars for his restaurant la Pyramide and trained the next generation of French culinary stars, including Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, Louis Outhier and Jean and Pierre Troisgros. It's a great book but the recipes are more notes on how to proceed, based on an assumption that that the reader will have the level of culinary proficiency required to execute them. They are transitional showing the movement from traditional French cuisine with it's foundation of roux based sauces into simpler builds using tapioca, arrowroot or creme fraiche reductions. And of course what we all now think of as the recent discovery of organic, fresh and seasonal products, was in fact the basis for his culinary mastery as far back as 1920. I am on my second copy, having worn out the first which I bought new in 1974. If you can find a copy - get it!

Patrick McDonnell - Culinary Director, FoodArts Magazine