Synopsis
Bernard Loiseau was one of only 25 French chefs to hold Europe's highest culinary award, three stars in the Michelin Red Guide, and only the second chef to be awarded the Legion of Honor. Despite such triumphs, he shocked the culinary world by taking his own life in February 2003 as rumors swirled that he was on the verge of losing a Michelin star (a prediction that proved to be inaccurate). Journalist Chelminski, who befriended Loiseau three decades ago and followed his rise, now gives us a tour of this hallowed culinary realm, filled with competition, culture wars, and impossibly high standards. This is the story of a daydreaming teenager who worked his way up from obscurity to owning three famous restaurants in Paris and rebuilding La Cãote d'Or, a man whose energy and enthusiasm won the hearts of staff and clientele, while self-doubt and cutthroat critics took their toll.--From publisher description.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2005-05-13 | | Edition Description: | Reprint |
| Size | | Length: | 354 pages | | Height: | 9.0 in | | Width: | 6.0 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 20.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
A portrait of the award-winning master chef who in spite of prestigious achievements took his own life in 2003 traces Bernard Loiseau's rise from an ambitious teenager who worked in the kitchen of the famed Troisgros brothers to the head of the Michelin star-winning La Cote d'Or, describing his relationships with staff and clientele and the toll taken on his health by his self-doubt and critics.
Industry Reviews
"Enthralling plunge into the world of the late Bernard Loiseau....Intensely involving: a character study of a gifted, driven man and the world that created him."
Kirkus (03/15/2005)
"Loiseau seems likely to become a mordant icon of the eternal war between critics and cooks, and Chelminski does a good job with the subject....Chelminski knows the French food world intimately and has a moving story to tell, with universal implications: the downfall of the artist through perfectionism and paranoia."
New Yorker - Adam Gopnik (03/04/2005)
"Mr. Chelminski...knew Loiseau well. Better yet, he knows France well and the exalted role of fine dining in French culture. THE PERFECTIONIST tells, in rich detail, the story of Loiseau's rapid rise and desperate efforts to stay on top, but this cautionary tale is also a deeply informed guide to the last half century of French cuisine, a brilliant chapter whose ending is uncertain."
New York Times - William Grimes (06/01/2005)
"[A] maddening book--egregiously overwritten but deeply well informed and ultimately irresistible....Chelminsky provides expert miniseminars on the history of French cuisine, its greatest visionaries and the Michelin guide."
New York Times Book Review - Jay Jennings (08/14/2005)
| See an error? Submit a change request |
All rights reserved.
