
When I was taught to cook professionally I learned classical French cuisine.
“Sous Vide” was a method of cooking that didn't require a machine like it does today and the French, who thought that English cooking was stodgy and tasteless, were the benchmark. “Escoffier” wrote the book, the Roux brothers were at the top of the game and everyone wanted to be the next Raymond Blanc.
We all wanted to cook like the French.
I was, and still am, proud to have been taught in this traditional way; the old school way, the correct way with no cowboy habits, you got to learn those later “in industry”. It wasn't an easy industry to be a trainee in, and anyone who has read “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain will attest to that. A lot of today’s best chefs have come from the very same background.
It was good then but today the food industry is an even more exciting place to be. So, why then, the demise in French cooking?
There are tons of talented chefs from all nationalities and the culinary world has moved on to new heights. Fads, trends and diets of the past are gone and cuisine is at a new level. Today’s food is fun, attractive, inventive and downright tasty; well mostly anyway. Chefs are proud to be associated with this revived industry and many are finally being well paid for it.
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