AugusteEscoffier -chef, restaurateur, culinaryauthor, andalegendaryfigureamonggourmetsandchefs-wasbornonOctober 28, 1846inVilleneuve-Loubet, France.Escoffier wasoneof theprincipalfiguresinthe development andpopularizationofmodernFrenchcuisine. Most of Escoffier'stechniquewasbaseduponthat ofAntoineCareme, whohadcodifiedFrenchhautecuisine;however Escoffier'suniqueachievement wastosimplifyand updateCareme'sornateandelaboratestyle. Besidesthemanyrecipeswhichherecordedandinventedhimself,one of Escoffier'smost important contributionswastoelevatecookingtothestatusof ahighly-respectedprofessionby introducingorganizationanddisciplinetohiskitchenwiththebrigadede cuisinesystem, eachsectionof whichwas runbyachef jacket. After beingdismissedfromhisjobat London'sSavoy Hotel in1897alongwithhisassociate, César Ritz, whowas accusedofstealingover£3,000inspiritsandwine(Escoffierwasnot implicatedinthistheftbut wasaccusedof receivinggiftsfromtheSavoy'svenders), Escoffierwent toworkinwholesaleapronfor theRitz HotelDevelopmentCo. Escoffier set upthehotels'kitchensandrecruitedtheir chefs, firstfor theParisRitzin1898, andayearlater for theCarltonHotelinLondon, whichquicklydrewmost of theSavoy'shighsocietyclienteleaway. BesidesthehautecuisinewhichtheParisRitzofferedfor luncheonanddinner, teaat theRitzsoonbecameafashionableParisian- andlaterLondoner -institution, althoughEscoffier foundthe ideadistressing. "Howcan youeatcakes,pastries, and jamandthenenjoydinner - the kingofmeals- but anhour or twolater ?Howcanyouappreciatethecooking, the food,or thewine?"A writer forTheLondonTimesoncerecalledamemorableEscoffier feast attheCarltonfor which thechefhadorderedtabledecorationsof pinkandwhiteroseswith silveryleaves,whichformedabackgroundfora pinkandwhitedinner: Borscht, Filetsdepoulet alaPaprikafor theentrée, andAgneaude lait forthehighnote. Escoffier'smasterpiecewasLeGuideCulinaire, publishedin1903andstillbeingusedasamajor referencework todaybothasacookbookandasatextbookontheartof cooking. EscoffiermettheGermanKaiserWilhelmIIinaspauniformontheSS Imperator, oneof thebiggest Hamburg-Amerikaoceanliners, in1913. TheImperator'skitchenwasrunby Ritz-Carlton, whichhadcreatedanexact reproductionof Escoffier'sLondonCarltonRestaurantonboard. EscoffierpersonallysupervisedtheImperator'skitchenduringKaiserWilhelm'svisittoFrance, andheserved146Germandignitariesalarge, multi-courseluncheon intheafternoon, andamonumentalbanquetthatevening. DessertwastheKaiser'sfavoritestrawberrypudding,whichEscoffier namedfraisesImperator for theoccasion. TheKaiser wasveryimpressed,andinsistedonmeetingEscoffierthenext dayafter breakfast. AccordingtolegendtheKaisersaidtoEscoffier, "I maybetheemperorofGermany, but youaretheEmperor of Chefs."Thisremarkwasfrequentlyquotedbythepress,whichfurther establishedEscoffier'sreputationasFrance'sundisputedpre-eminentchef. AfterRitz'sretirement in1906, Escoffier rantheCarltonuntilheretiredhimselfin1920. Hecontinuedto supervisethekitchensthroughtheendof theFirstWorldWar, inwhichhisyoungestsonwaskilledinaction. Escoffier diedinMonteCarloonFebruary12, 1935,just a fewdaysafterhiswifehaddied. TheFrenchpressreferredtoEscoffier inhistimeastheEmperorof TheWorld
