Letters to a Young Chef
Page 15
First and foremost to Peter Kaminsky, for the countless hours he spent patiently recording my ideas and guiding my thoughts. His humor, style, and in-depth knowledge of our industry allowed me to convey my views clearly and in a voice I could always call my own.
A special thanks to my Culinary Manager, Mary Kirk Goeldner, who helped with much of the rewriting project. Her patience and ability to translate my handwritten notes and scribbles were invaluable.
To the generous people at Basic Books who created the first edition, and especially the talented team tasked to the second edition: Melissa Veronesi, Melissa Raymond, Katherine Haigler, Lara Heimert, Alia Massoud, and my copy editor, Kelley Blewster.
To all the chefs who tirelessly maintain the standards in my restaurants, but especially Corporate Chefs Fabrizzio Salerni and Olivier Muller, who manage to juggle the dynamic demands of the business, food, and personnel at our properties worldwide; to Jean-Francois Bruel, Eddy Leroux, and Ghaya Oliveira, who are at the helm of my flagship, DANIEL; to Aaron Bludorn and Ashley Brauze at Café Boulud, Travis Swikard at Boulud Sud, Alexander Burger and Anna McGorman at Bar Boulud, and Christopher Stam at DB Bistro Moderne.
To all my chefs outside New York who bring talent and passion for French cuisine to their cities: Sylvain Assie in Toronto, Riccardo Bertolino in Montreal, Rick Mace in Palm Beach, Clark Bowen in Miami, Thomas Piat in London, Michael Denk in Boston, Jonathan Kinsella in Singapore, and Nicholas Tang in Washington, DC.
As no kitchen staff could shine without the arduous efforts of the front of the house, I thank Pierre Siue, Dominique Paulin, and Samantha Whitlam, my operations directors, who oversee all aspects of service in multiple locations.
To Brett Traussi and Michael Lawrence, Chief Operations Officer and Executive Director of Operations, who have been with me since the early 90s and who make the whole machine run. Their stamina and drive keep us pushing toward our common goal: excellence in hospitality.
To my partners, Lili Lynton and the Smilow family, and my financial directors, Marcel Doron and Brian Diamond, for insisting we each give our very best every day.
To Evyn Block, my Director of Public Relations, who makes sure we all stay focused, creative, and connected.
To the entire Dinex Group staff in accounting, public relations, marketing, human resources, purchasing, and administration, for keeping us staffed, organized, engaged, and relevant.
To Young Yun, Jaimie Chew, and Tehani Levin, the directors of the foundation Ment’or BKB, for their efforts to create great opportunities for young chefs and for Team USA on behalf of myself, Thomas Keller, and Jerome Bocuse.
To my multilingual, multiskilled administrative assistants, Anna Hahn and Juliette Ten, who are undoubtedly the most patient and organized of the team. They manage my communications, busy schedule, devices, transportation, and general comfort, and I owe them much gratitude.
To all the young chefs who have worked in my kitchens and have given their dedication, their energy, their willingness to learn. To the sous chefs, cooks, bakers, externs, stagiaires, and culinary students who have worked, for five days or five years, as part of my brigade: I am thankful for your loyalty and commitment. It is so very rewarding to observe those of you who have passed through my doors and gone on to create and sustain your own extraordinary successes—in the United States and around the world. There is no greater joy as a chef or mentor than knowing I have had some small influence on your careers. You make me proud and remind me why I am here in the first place.
To my entire restaurant staff: no chef operates in a vacuum. It takes teamwork from every member of the front and back of the house. You are all part of that which keeps my wheels turning and my dream possible. Every phone answered, every dish washed, and every delivery inspected is vital.
To American cooking schools, who have transformed the landscape of culinary education over the last few decades. Their efforts have increased the respect and understanding of our profession in this country.
Of course, to my mentors, Gerard Nandron, Georges Blanc, Roger Vergé, Michel Guérard, and Sirio Maccioni, for giving me the tools I needed and the lessons I learned.
When you are a chef you will become part of a great community of other chefs who are your buddies, but whom you will also greatly respect for their perspective on our craft. For this edition I asked a few of mine to contribute essays. I would like to thank Grant Achatz, Dominique Ansel, Michael Anthony, Gavin Kaysen, Corey Lee, Barbara Lynch, Eric Ripert, Marcus Samuelsson, Nancy Silverton, and, from my current team, Jean-Francois Bruel and Eddy Leroux, for giving their time away from their own businesses to help me guide and influence young chefs today.
Finally, to my wife, Katherine, my two daughters, Alix and Georgiana, and my son, Julien, for their love, support, and patience. And to my parents, Julien and Marie Boulud, as well as my late Grandmère Francine, with whom my whole story begins and to whom I will always be grateful for their encouragement and support.
DANIEL BOULUD is considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities and one of the most revered French chefs in New York, his home since 1982. Daniel was born in France in 1955 and raised on his family’s farm near Lyon. He got his first restaurant job at the age of fourteen. After being nominated as a candidate for best cooking apprentice in France, Daniel went on to train under renowned chefs Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc, and Michel Guérard. He then moved to the United States, where his first position was as Chef to the European Commission in Washington, DC. From 1986 to 1992, he served as Executive Chef at New York’s famed Le Cirque. He opened his flagship restaurant, DANIEL, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1993. Daniel is now Chef-Owner of fourteen restaurants around the world; outside New York, his cooking can be found in London, Singapore, Toronto, Montréal, Miami, Palm Beach, Washington, DC, and Boston. Boulud is the author of nine cookbooks; the recipient of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, including Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurateur; and winner of the Culinary Institute of America’s Chef of the Year Award (2011) and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Lifetime Achievement Award (2015). Boulud was named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government in March 2006 in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of French culture. He has been a generous supporter and Co-President of Citymeals on Wheels for more than two decades, and is Chairman of the Ment’or BKB Foundation.
ALSO BY DANIEL BOULUD
Cooking with Daniel Boulud
Café Boulud Cookbook: French-American Recipes for the Home Cook
Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City with Peter Kaminsky
Daniel’s Dish: Entertaining at Home with a Four-Star Chef
Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine with Melissa Clark
Cocktails & Amuse-Bouches: For Her & For Him
Daniel: My French Cuisine with Sylvie Bigar
My Best: Daniel Boulud