
Pierre Gagnaire grew up on the outskirts of the industrial city of Saint-Etienne
- a gastronomic wasteland in central France. The soon-to-be legendary French chef found himself free of culinary ties thus free to choose & mix ingredients as he pleased & free to disregard traditions but always driven by logic & 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 & poetry with technical mastery & is widely considered France's most innovative & exuberant chef. 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 these final recipes are not afterthoughts but the appropriate end to a complete creation. Beautiful colour images by renowned food photographer Jean Louis Bloch Linee's reveal the richness of these incredible creations.