Jules Gouffé (1807 – 28 February 1877) was a renowned French

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a ki ...

and pâtissier. He was nicknamed ''l'apôtre de la cuisine décorative'' (french: The apostle of decorative cuisine). He had a deep impact on the evolution of French

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...

by gathering an immense knowledge that he wrote down in his ''Le Livre de Cuisine'' and his ''Le Livre de Pâtisserie''. Revered by great names such as

Bernard Loiseau Bernard Daniel Jacques Loiseau (, 13 January 1951 – 24 February 2003) was a French chef at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu. He obtained his three stars in the Michelin Guide, and had a peak rating of 19.5/20 in the Gault Millau restaurant ...

and

molecular gastronomy Molecular gastronomy is the scientific approach of nutrition from primarily the perspective of chemistry. The composition ( molecular structure), properties (mass, viscosity, etc) and transformations (chemical reactions, reactant products) o ...

researchers, such as

Hervé This Hervé This (; born 5 June 1955 in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, sometimes named Hervé This-Benckhard, or Hervé This vo Kientza) is a French physical chemist who works for the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique at AgroParisTech, in Par ...

, his legacy is still vibrant among cooks of today.

Biography

His learning began under the supervision of his father, who owned a ''

pâtisserie A () is a type of Italian, French or Belgian bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets, as well as a term for such food items. In some countries, it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed ...

'' (pastry shop) on Neuve Saint-Merri street, Paris. Gouffé became Antonin Carême's pupil at the age of 16, with whom he remained for seven years. Gouffé relates in his ''Livre de Pâtisserie'' that Carême who was passing by, stopped to admire the '' pièces montées'' that were on display, congratulating the proprietor and offering to take his son under his protection. His first job was during the ball held in 1823 by the city of Paris in honor of the Duc d'Angoulême to celebrate the Spanish Expedition which 7000 guests attended. In 1840 he opened a shop at

rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré The Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré () is a street located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Relatively narrow and nondescript, especially in comparison to the nearby Avenue des Champs-Élysées, it is cited as being one of the most lux ...

which soon gained fame. He sold the shop in 1855 and then became inactive. In 1867 he accepted an offer from

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

and the to become '' chef de bouche'' of the

Jockey-Club de Paris The Jockey Club de Paris is a traditional gentlemen's club and is regarded as the most prestigious of private clubs in Paris. It is best remembered as a gathering place of the elite of nineteenth-century French society. Today it is decidedly but ...

.Jean Vitaux, "Le Baron Brisse : un journaliste gargantuesque", Canal Académie, 3 février 2013 While he held this position he began writing books that ensured his renown. Most of his works were translated into English by his brother, Alphonse Gouffé, Head Pastry Cook to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

Works

*''Le Livre de Cuisine: comprenant la cuisine de ménage et la grande cuisine avec 25 planches imprimées en chromolithographie et 161 gravures sur bois dessinées d'après nature par E. Ronjat'', Paris, Librairie Hachette (1867
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:(''The Royal Cookery Book'') *''Le Livre de Pâtisserie: Ouvrage contenant 10 planches chromolithographiques et 137 gravures sur bois d'après les peintures à l'huile et les dessins de E. Ronjat'', Paris, Librairie Hachette (1873
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:(''The Royal Book of Pastry and Confectionery'') *''Recettes pour préparer et conserver les Viandes et les Poissons salés et fumés, les terrines, les galantines, les légumes, les fruits, les confitures, les liqueurs de famille, les sirops, les petits fours, etc.'', Paris, Librairie Hachette (1869) (''Le Livre des conserves'') :(''The Book of Preserves'') *''Le Livre de Soupes et des Potages contenant plus de 400 recettes de potages français et étrangers'' (1872) (''Le Livre de soupes et des potages'') :(''The Book of Soups'')

References

External links

''Le livre de cuisine''

''Le livre de pâtisserie''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gouffe, Jules French chefs French cuisine 1807 births 1877 deaths