Pierre Gagnaire: Reflections on Culinary Artistry

Pierre Gagnaire grew up on the outskirts of the industrial city of Saint-Ètienne-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, but always 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 and is widely considered France's most innovative and exhuberant 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 color images by renowned food photographer Jean Louis Bloch Linée's reveal the richness of these incredible creations.