We live in an age of plenty, when food is consumed and pursued as much for entertainment as for sustenance. Haute cuisine foodie magazines abound. There are television food channels that are devoted to every aspect of gastronomy. Celebrity chefs are as ubiquitous and as famous as actors and politicians. Gourmet food stores have sprouted in every town of any size in the United States. Chains such as Kroger and Safeway have in-store gourmet shops solely devoted to enhancing the preparation and presentation of meals.

As recently as two centuries ago this adoration of food and cooking was unthinkable. For the vast majority of people the only interest they had in food was securing enough nutrition to stay alive. Taste, presentation and assortments of foodstuffs were of no importance and beyond their reality. This changed in the first decade of the 19th century in Paris.

In 1792 Marie-Antoine Careme was born to destitute parents at the height of the violent French Revolution. The parents abandoned the boy and he was apprenticed at the age of eight to the famous patissier Sylvain Bailly. The young boy was ambitious, hard working and smart and Bailly encouraged him to open his own bakery after he had complete his apprenticeship.

Careme opened the Patisserie de la Rue de la Paix in 1813. The shop quickly gained fame and a loyal following. The windows were famous for "pieces montees", elaborate constructions famous for their scale used as table centerpieces. Many were designed to look like ruins and famous buildings from around the world. They were as much sculpture as edible food.

As a baker Careme was always experimenting, seeking to push the envelope of presentation, subtle taste enhancements and inventing new forms of cooking. He is credited with creating gros nougats, grosses maringues, croquantes and solilemmes. The famous French politician Charles Talleyrand and Napoleon became fans of his work and he was often commissioned to cook for diplomatic functions.

Eventually Talleyrand hired Careme to work exclusively for him at his country estate. Talleyrand famously presented Careme with a test. He had to devise a menu for a complete year of meals, with no repetition of dishes and using only local, seasonal foodstuffs. When Careme passed the test Talleyrand vigorously promoted his young chef who had turned his attention from solely baking to formal cooking.

After the fall of Napoleon Careme went to London and served as chef de cuisine for King George IV. Later he travelled to St. Petersburg to work for Czar Alexander I. Finally, returning to Paris and the employee of James Mayer Rothschild, he died at the age of 48. It is believed that Careme died at a young age because he spent his life cooking near open charcoal flames.

It was as chef for Talleyrand that Careme spread the greatest influence. He cooked for the large diplomatic councils that Talleyrand convened. As diplomats returned to their distant countries they carried stories about the wonderful delicacies that Careme had concocted. The upper classes of Europe quickly became enamored and haute cuisine, stylized French cooking became the rage.

Careme is the most influential chef of all time. Many of his techniques and improvements are in use to this day. He invented the famous toque (chef's hat). His creation and classification of the universally utilized four Mother Sauces changed cooking. He pioneered the "service a la Russe", serving dishes one at a time as they appeared on the menu. Numerous recipes and cooking techniques are attributed to this culinary genius.

His five part book "L' Arte de la Cuisine Francais" is still considered a classic. It details numerous recipes, plans for menus and tables settings, organizing kitchens and the history of French cookery.

In most major cities around the world, the French restaurant is considered the apex of taste, refinement and luxurious dining. When visiting Paris, especially for first time travelers, the experience of viewing patisserie windows is street theatre. The colors, styles and shapes of the treats are so visually stunning. The pace and style of French restaurants have a cadence all their own. Food is art and life to the French. Marie-Antoine Careme, "The King of Chefs, and the Chef of Kings" deserves much of the credit for this grand legacy.

by: Geoff Ficke

Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.

After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.

Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

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In these more challenging times of today it makes even more sense for us to look after our health and well being. A lot of us are eating all the wrong foods, with the problem of obesity getting more and more common now is the time to take a close look at what we eat, what our children eat and returning to old family values of good healthy food. I know there are so many convenient fast food restaurants, takeaways and cafes on every streets we walk on every day and its very hard to avoid them but by just deciding to cook more often from home we our improving our health, family socialising and we have more money in our pockets at the end of the week.

Why not make these changes and experience the benefits of better health, more energy, losing those excess pounds that we carry. Lets all eat more fruit and vegetables fish and poultry, less red meat chips dairy products and processed food. We can also support all of our local farm produce by buying fresh produce from our local farmers markets, thus supporting local business in these challenging times.

This will put more money into our local economy supporting the smaller business instead of the major franchise chain. I hope this little article has given you some food for thought and helped you along in these busy and challenging times ahead because I suppose we all need to do the best for ourselves and our families. So until next time I wish you and your family health and success in the future.

To find out how to cook like the worlds greatest chefs and unlock the secret to some of the most famous recipes just go to http://heavenlyfoods.info

In today's economy, it is hard enough to get a job, but if you are looking for a job that most people find somehow romantic and intriguing, then it is even harder. It has never been more difficult than right now to get a job high up in the culinary world, so what education do you need to become a chef in today's economy?

You might think that you need a full four-year degree in order to become a chef, but that isn't true. Although there are certainly some very good four-year programs in the culinary arts, they aren't really the way into the kitchen. They are generally designed more for restaurant managers or owners, rather than creative and talented chefs.

If you want to cook for a living and want to know what education do you need to become a chef, then you should be looking at some of the online and in-person culinary academies. These programs allow people with nothing more than a high school diploma the opportunity to get an advanced education and training in the culinary arts. Generally speaking, graduates from these programs go straight to the head of the kitchen in almost any restaurant.

You can spend years working your way up the career ladder in order to get a good job as a chef, or you can spend just a few months in a program that is designed to quickly and affordably teach you the skills you need. You will find that most graduates from culinary academies can virtually write their own ticket when it comes to their career, and are able to quickly set about making a good living. It is the best way for people with all levels of cooking skills to find a job that they truly love.

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