Funny about the male chef observation. Every French chef I know seems to go on and on about his mother's cooking, especially baking. 
Doesn't Michel Richard? Yet perhaps they don't seem obliged to carry on the traditions the same way the daughters do.
Funny thing, that. I remember the first time I had Michel over to my house for dinner. I did some kind of beef daubey thing that I thought was pretty awful. Too liquidy, beef didn't get tender enough, the clove was way too strong (this was a
long time ago). Michel just gobbled it down. "This tastes just like my mother's cooking," he said. And after all the meals we've shared and as often as I've cooked for him, he still brings that up as his favorite dish. Nostalgia is especially powerful for French chefs, I think.
I also remember the first time his mom came over to visit from France. You have to understand that he comes from a
very working class background. And his mom was the worker. She didn't have much time for cooking or dining. He was really nervous so the first night he asked Kathy and I to come to dinner at Citrus to provide moral support. Of course, we were happy to oblige. He put us at the table next to her and after a couple of courses, when she had gotten comfortable, he came over to introduce us .... "my friend Russ Parsons, the grande writerrrr" (I can't write a Michel imitation). I put my arm around him, went on and on about what a great chef he was and how successful he was and how proud she must be of him. He translated. Finally, I asked "and how are you enjoying your meal?" She lit up and started rattling off in French. Michel's face turned ash gray. What did she say? I asked him. He wouldn't tell me. Come on, you've got to tell me. He looked at me and said "she said the food was just as good as on the airplane coming over."
[it must be said, that was her first airplane flight]
