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“C’est une histoire d’amour, la cuisine.” Cooking is a love story. This is the motto around which Alain Ducasse built his career, and perhaps it’s no coincidence that such a guiding principle has led him to amass Michelin stars for his restaurants, making him the undisputed record-holder in this field. Throughout his career, he has earned no fewer than 33 Michelin stars for his establishments. Paris, Monaco, London, Tokyo, New York, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Hong Kong—these are just a few of the cities that now savor the sophisticated menus bearing the signature of this renowned Monegasque chef. It comes as no surprise that he was also the one chosen to prepare the menu for the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Yet, it wasn’t the accolades that drew me to Alain Ducasse, but rather his way of speaking about gastronomy, his vision of food, and above all, the relationship he has cultivated with the kitchen—a subtle blend of savoir-faire and faire-savoir, essential for continuing the magic of culinary tradition and passing it on to future generations of chefs. With his round glasses, gray hair, and calm smile, listening to him speak about the importance of fresh ingredients and the indispensable passion for gastronomy, you might mistake him for a literature or anthropology professor. It’s no surprise, given the rich culinary heritage that he embodies through his mastery of savoir-faire.
Anyone fortunate enough to witness and taste his creations would undoubtedly call it art—culinary art, to be precise. But in Ducasse’s view, his contribution to gastronomic culture is not a revolution, but rather an evolution—calm, controlled, and carefully studied. It is a rediscovery of essential tastes and flavors, a return to the true meaning of savor, achieved through authentic products sourced from farmers and agricultural producers. It is a sublime journey, delicately seasoned, as he puts it, with a touch of art.
Today, Alain Ducasse’s creations live on, not only through his culinary academy but also through works like Grand Livre de Cuisine, an impressive encyclopedia that encompasses remarkable volumes on haute cuisine, traditional bistro menus, and desserts, all filtered through Ducasse’s unique perspective. Additionally, the school he founded, the Centre de Formation Alain Ducasse, offers those truly passionate about gastronomy the opportunity to specialize in culinary arts or pastry-making, and to learn the secrets and savoir-faire of the chef who reigns supreme in the Michelin star universe.
For, as Ducasse understands so well, more powerful than knowing is sharing. When we talk about cuisine, we are first and foremost talking about people. And when we talk about people, we are talking about love—the most valuable ingredient of all. As Ducasse himself says, sans amour, y a pas de cuisine—without love, there is no cuisine.
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