The legacy of Michel Guérard

It was one of those moments that one regrets not having met a person in life when I saw the post of Hélène Pietrini, managing director of La Liste, the famed restaurant grading system. She was declaring that we had lost chef Michel Guérard at the age of 91, the last living legend of French gastronomy. Classical French cuisine has influenced cuisines all over the world becoming a benchmark for finesse. But it was Guérard who almost single-handedly changed and brought a light angle to the cream and butter-rich heavy classic cuisine, creating “cuisine minceur” literally meaning “slimming cooking,” demonstrating that light diet food can be as delicious. He was dedicated to taking “nouvelle cuisine” further, being among the first defenders of the trend which is characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes with an increased emphasis on presentation. Hélène Pietrini wrote of him: “RIP - We are sad and will miss you so much but your nouvelle cuisine, your witty mind and poetry, your smile and generosity, your home and your Eugénie inspire the deepest respect. I wish every chef in this world had met this man and family to understand the secrets and modernity of French gastronomy and art of hospitality. I have no doubt the legend will continue with his two daughters and fabulous team at Les Prés d’Eugénie. Hold the butter but keep the magic!” Guérard surely had a special magic, that unique charm which has been influential to many; to the extent that he has had been the inspiration to the children’s favorite animation film “Ratatouille” and that magical chef-rat Remy. My regret of not having met him in person was not being able to ask a particular question: "How did his iconic ratatouille dish come into being back in 1976, and why did he name it after a dish of Turkish cuisine when he created it?"

It was one of those moments that one regrets not having met a person in life when I saw the post of Hélène Pietrini, managing director of La Liste, the famed restaurant grading system. She was declaring that we had lost chef at the age of 91, the last living legend of French gastronomy. Classical French cuisine has influenced cuisines all over the world becoming a benchmark for finesse.

But it was Guérard who almost single-handedly changed and brought a light angle to the cream and butter-rich heavy classic cuisine, creating “cuisine minceur” literally meaning “slimming cooking,” demonstrating that light diet food can be as delicious. He was dedicated to taking “nouvelle cuisine” further, being among the first defenders of the trend which is characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes with an increased emphasis on presentation. Hélène Pietrini wrote of him: “RIP - We are sad and will miss you so much but your nouvelle cuisine, your witty mind and poetry, your smile and generosity, your home and your Eugénie inspire the deepest respect.

I wish every in this world had met this man and family to understand the secrets and modernity of French gastronomy and art of hospitality. I have no doubt the legend will continue with his two daughters and fabulous team at Les Prés d’Eugénie. Hold the butter but keep the magic!” Guérard surely had a special magic, that unique charm which has been influential to many; to the extent that he has had been th.