Author Description

David Glass was the first American to work in the kitchen of Michelin 3--star restaurant l'Archestrate in Paris. It was an exciting time: the very beginning of the culinary movement known as nouvelle cuisine. The chef of l'Archestrate, Alain Senderens- along with Paul Bocuse, Pierre and Jean Troisgros, and others- were its pioneers. And here was David, with little else than a degree in art history, in charge of an entire portion of this famous restaurant's kitchen, turning out 3-star cuisine while gritting his teeth in fear of making a mistake. This book not only brings you into the restaurant but also talks about the extraordinary dishes that leapt out of Alain Senderens' brain, into the tiny, cramped kitchen, and onto the plates and into the mouths of astounded customers. This is not a recipe book, but you will wind up tasting his fish with a beurre rouge sauce as well as his tournedos Rossini with foie gras, truffles, and a luscious cream and Madeira sauce. Read about all the menu items David made everyday. Because there were very few machines, David made puff pastry, souffles, floating islands, cookie doughs, chocolate truffles, and everything else by hand. There are also descriptions of some of the delicious sauces, game birds, salads, and a particular vinaigrette that involved soaking fresh truffles in oil for 5 days. There are stories that will make you laugh, sweat, and throw up. You will also travel through the streets of Paris on David's Mobylette, stopping along the way at food shops and restaurants. You'll visit the Louvre, Jeu de Paume, l'Orangerie, and you'll meet some of the exciting street performers whose antics delighted David and others. In his spare time, when he wasn't cooking or generally obsessed with food, David was taking ballet lessons and piano lessons, teaching English to French students, watching ballet performances outdoors at the Louvre, writing letters at Cafe' Deux Magots, or strolling through the streets of P