Pierre Gagnaire: Reflections on Culinary Artistry

Pierre Gagnaire grew up on the outskirts of the industrial city of Saint-Etienne - a gastronomic wasteland in central France. And so the soon-to-be legendary French chef found himself free of culinary ties, thus free to choose and mix ingredients as he pleased and free to disregard traditions, while always remaining driven by logic and good taste. Since he opened his first restaurant in 1980, Gagnaire has become famous for the architectural nature of his dishes - sometimes horizontal, sometimes vertical, they are always structured with a deep sense of rhythm. His highly personal cooking combines fantasy and poetry with technical mastery. Gagnaire's superb culinary rhythm leads naturally to a final dish, dessert, which brings a sweet counterpoint to the savoriness of his main courses. For him, this final course is not an afterthought, but the appropriate end to a complete creation. Beautiful color images by renowned food photographer Tessa Traeger reveal the richness of these incredible creations.

Pierre Gagnaire is the Michelin three-starred chef famous for his highly personal cooking, which combines exceptional creativity and a mastery of technique. He was born into a family of restaurant owners and opened his first restaurant in 1980 in the centre of Saint-Etienne. In 1996 he opened his third restaurant, his first in Paris, a stone's throw away from the Champs-Elysees. The BBC touted Sketch, his newest venture in London, as "a glittering combination of food, art, and design...one of the country's most extraordinary restaurants."

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