Culinary Masters - Escoffier's Great Grandson

Quite a few years ago I completed a research piece on that Chef of Chefs : Auguste Escoffier, that I posted here on Geocities. It has been used since by many as seemingly the ultimate piece on the man, the chef. Quoted even by the Escoffier Society and the Escoffier Museum to name a few, and now even by his great grandson, Michel Escoffier (link to Escoffier article below)

Chef Auguste Escoffier

http://www.mmtravel.net:80/ had organised one of thier many food and wine cruises based on Escoffier's cuisine, menus and dishes, leading the cruise is his great grandson, Michel Escoffier. As part of the cruise's publicity they used my research piece. All unbeknown to me until one of my 2007 trainee chef students came across it while completing her own research for an assignment

The cruise (from the USA) was calling into Christchurch, N.Z. in Jan 2008 and I was invited onboard, to spend the day with Michel Escoffier and with the guest chef who is cooking all the dishes www.reneekellys.com. As part of it all, they asked for my trainee chef to join us for the day.

Here then is a record of that unforgettable day 

January 13, 2008 - Sunday

Just about to head off to meet the Great Grandson of Chef Auguste Escoffier onboard the Cruise liner Silver Whisper, and spend tomorrow showing him around Christchurch

January 14, 2008 - Monday

Coming out of the Lyttleton tunnel and turning left and down the hill, there it was all docked in all its splendour. The Silver Whisper. The lingering memory of that instant will be student chef Ash’s remark (expletives removed! ;-) “……. that’s BIG!” Without thinking and realising it, I discovered it was the first time she had seen a cruise liner close up …… it was about to get a lot closer and a lot more personal http://www.silversea.com

We met the Silver Whisper at 8.30am (Monday 14th Jan 2008) and went through security with no problems ..... our names were on the VIP guest list and our onboard day passes were issued. We were shown to deck/level five and the reception area. All staff greeting us as we had made our way to reception, any ship’s crew is well trained in the art of meet and greet. Like military personnel always salute a superior, ships crew ALWAYS greet guests, even if it’s a simple hello, NO ONE is ever walked passed without being acknowledged

the meeting

Without even saying who we were, we were told Monsieur Escoffier was expecting us and to take a seat and he would be joining us shortly. The door of the lift opened and out stepped Michel Escoffier, the great grandson of the man himself : Chef Auguste Escoffier. Almost at once we were made to feel at ease, no pomp, no graces .... just a friendly, a perfect French gentleman introduced himself and was immediately more interested in who we were, how our trip over had been, how we had been treated so far etc. Chef Renee Neighbors soon joined us and had the same genuine friendliness.

Chef Renee was the guest Chef aboard the Silver Whisper, for the Escoffier food and wine tour. During the4 tour she is responsible for reproducing many of Auguste Escoffier classical dishes and menus. www.reneekellys.com While still in the reception area chatting, we were joined by the Christchurch Press reporter, Mary K. The next hour was spent touring the ship, conducting interviews as we walked. The bars, the restaurants, the cabins, the facilities. From the main dining room, simply named ‘The Restaurant’, to the Bistro style ‘La Terrazza’ from the fine dining ‘La Champagne’ restaurant to the ‘Humidor’ cigar room. All VERY impressive in both design and quality. Eventually sitting down to complete the press interview in a conference room, mostly conducted unfortunately while the all important but very noisy safety drill was conducted.

Once the press had left, we were left to ourselves. Left with Michel Escoffier and Chef Renee to show us more of the ship, to show us the all important kitchens (sorry galleys) and to meet the chefs. The galleys are small given the amount of guests and food that is required to be prepared, und surprisingly (or not if you’re a seasoned chef) are not that well equipped. I was surprised to see there was no railings around the stoves to prevent them moving in rough seas. The kitchens are well staffed though with a French Exec Chef, Senior Sous Chef Paul is Dutch, yet most of the line cooks are Phipipinos.

After the final tour it was time to relax a little, time for Ashley and myself to show them a little of Christchurch in the short 3 hours plus we had. We had got to know both Michel and Chef Renee quite well in this short time and was made to feel immediately at ease with them. In a short 90 minutes we had all bonded quite well and were far from strangers, in less than two hours it felt we had known each other for some time. As can be seen in these photos. 

the afternoon 

Senior Sous Chef Paul, had requested to join us off ship for a while, it was off to the lifts and back down to disembark . It had been explained to them I only had a two door Toyota Celica, bit that proved no problem to them and were quite willing to muck in, squeeze in and make the most of the time. A simple gesture, but to me it said volumes for the amiable people they were.

With Ash, Chef Paul and Chef Renee squeezed into the back and the great grandson of Escoffier next to me in the passenger seat we set off for the gondola and Mount Cavendish. Five of us and only four to a gondola cabin, Ash was given the honour of sharing the trip up the mountain alone with Michel Escoffier. To the top and the views of course are stunning and took the breath away from our guests. After a photo shoot session, it was time for refreshment. How many trainee chefs can boast that Escoffier great grandson bought her coffee? As for the man himself he likes his coffee neat and enjoys a strong espresso. We sat we drank we chatted and go to know our guests and them us

Time to move on, Chef Renee being from Kansas needed to see beach and feel sand between her toes. New Brighton here we come. A walk on the beach, along the pier and relaxed fun and photos were the order of the day. With Michel finding a large staff like piece of driftwood and doing a very good Gandalf impression, this man knows no formalities, he is a fun loving, life embracing person. Much like his great grand father was from all accounts, formal when required but day to day it is a humanitarian and lover of life. as is evident from this priceless photo. 

During the times in the car driving from A to B, Michel and I chatted and I was to gain a lot of personal anecdotes about Auguste Escoffier and about Michel, His family, his late wife, his son and daughter . Out of respect these will remain just that personal anecdotes and memories. The ones I can share are about Chef Auguste and I will be posting on my Auguste Escoffier web pagewww.reocities.com/napavalley/6454 We also discussed in detail the L'Ordre International des Disciples d'Auguste Escoffier and the starting of a NZ chapter www.disciples-escoffier.com … so watch this space!!

Heading back into the city we dropped off Chef Paul in Tuam Street, where an old friend of his now works at the Mediterranean Café. From there we toured the city where Michel was most interested in the local architecture, a seeming passion of his. Loving the old buildings and their style and grace, hating the new ones that lack any quality and any redeeming features. “That architect needs being hung, drawn and quartered” being a common quote. He opened my eyes to the horrible modern buildings that Christchurch does have, I have always appreciated the older building like the Tabernacle on Barbadoes Street, but never really noticed the horrific modern structures.

Hagley Park was touched on and briefly walked around (remembering Michel and Renee had been stuck onboard ship with no trees and greenery) before our final stop of the day. Where better to fulfil a love of buildings and vegetation but Worcester Boulevard, the Botanical Garden, The Art Centre and The College. A relaxed walk around, chatting and taking of personal photos, before time called a halt to our sojourn and the need to head back through the tunnel and back to board the Silver Whisper for the finale of the day

the finale 

Boarding the ship, the Silver Whisper again Michel and Renee escorted us to La Champagne, the fine dining restaurant were as part of the Escoffier Cruise package a wine tasting had been organised that we were to join. We joined some of the ship’s guests, introduced to them along with Chef Renee’s mother who was travelling with her.

It was here that Michel Escoffier’s friendly nature and tremendous sense of humour came to bear. As much as he has a passion for food and wine, he also has an fresh honesty in regards to some of the pomp that sometimes goes along with it. He poked fun at the wines nuances, its supposed flavours and aromas yet all the while appreciating them. He did not like all of them, but appreciated their quality. He was also quick to admit when he did not know what exact wine it was …… “could be a Beaujolais, but I am not sure” , in fact it was a Pinot Noir (for the record he is not a fan of Beaujolais wines)

Renee was first to admit she knew little of wine, and the tastings were a great chance for her to learn more. So refreshing, when a professional admits they do not know it all and are still a student of the culinary arts. We all need to admit it, I know I do with my trainees, that I will not always have the answers. We, like, Auguste Escoffier all need to remember we are all and always will be students of the culinary, we will all always be learning .... if we are honest and willing.

Reds and white were sampled. With the ship’s Sommelier ran through the process of tasting wines. checking the colour, its centre and how it changes to the edge. The nose, the different aromas and why one should first smell it while it sits undisturbed and how it changes once swirled in the glass. The tasting and the different flavours that can be distinguished, being quick to point out that what one distinguishes will be reliant on ones own memories, what may seem petroleum to one person will be maybe a puncture repair kit to another.

The ships guests who had paid a princely sum for the cruise and Escoffier food and wine part of it, were far from food and wine snobs. They were their to have fun, learn and enjoy. They were quick to join in any frivolities and poke fun at their own ignorance, memories and yet appreciated the Sommeliers knowledge and were quick to take it onboard.

It was late in the afternoon and the ship was to set sail soon and it was time for us to part before the ship’s departure. A final round of photos were taken by Renee’s mother, parting gifts and words were exchanged with Renee and Michel Escoffier took us below to disembark. Michel took our photo in front of the ship, we exchanged business cards and contact details and we said our au revoirs and bon voyage. My lasting memory will be looking back as I drove off from the ship to see Michel standing there and waving au revoir.

Was there a perfect way to end this end? Well, we thought we should at least wait around and watch the ship sail off. The end may not have been perfect but it did have a wee bit of irony to it. There is a pub at the docks which had a perfect view of the ship, a pub called The British Pub, seemed like a good idea. What made it the British Pub remains a mystery though, as it is run by countrymen of the ships’s line cooks: Phipipinos and serves Philipino food. It did have a fisherman’s basket however, which is what Ashley and myself dined on while we waited and watched as the Silver Shadow sailed not quite into the sunset (being on the east coast) but it did sail off and left a shadow cast over our memories.

A day that held great honour in our hearts, had put excitement in our stomachs and had infused an extra passion for the culinary world into Ash’s soul. Not everyday one gets to spend the day with the direct ancestor of the great Chef one has only ever read about, researched and written about. Not everyday one can open up their wallet and see a signed business card that reads : "bon chance, Michel Escoffier ........