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Impact of working for a chef like Thomas Keller


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I was just thinking about how some of the great chefs mentor so many people. Here are some people that worked for Thomas Keller: Grant Achaz, Curtis duffy, Rene Redzepi, Eric Ziebold, Tom Colichio, Cory Lee, Jonathon Benno, etc. Thomas Keller makes the people that work for him so much better. I think this is crazy how so many amazing chefs worked for him. This could be said th same about the Adria brothers, Daniel Boulud, Joel Robucon, etc.

I am in the process of making a chef "family tree" where it will show for instance that Marco Canora worked for Colicchio who worked for Keller. I think it will be a really cool think to look at and see how some chefs have influenced the culinary world in so many ways.

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Not comprehensive but Grub Street tried something along these lines a couple of years ago:

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2008/07/the_new_york_chef_tree.html

Also, someone did a really nice on for Los Angeles chefs:

http://discoverlosangeles.com/play/dining/familytree/

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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You may have seen it already, but I loved and was fascinated by the tree in "Becoming a Chef" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page (p. 90-91). It is entitled "A French Culinary Family Tree -- and Selected American Branches."

It starts with Ferdinand Point, and then devolves into Paul Bocus, Hubert Keller, Alain Chapel, the Troisgros brothers, Georges Blanc, Michel Guérard, Gaston Lenotre, Jacques Maximin, Joel Robuchon and Roger Vergé. Each of those chefs then has their subsequent protegés listed. It's quite something, although hardly as detailed as I would have liked.

The authors set it up as a quasi sort of chart more than an actual tree, but it's still fascinating. I'd go so far as to say that it was THE most intriguing part of the book for me. I realise that's considered a bit of heresy because people are always going on about "Becoming a Chef" but.. eh <shrug>.

In any event, I think your project is a wonderful idea and I'd love to see the results. After years of following and obsessing about food, it was only recently that I realised that my childhood haunts in France were the kitchens (or, more often, the sous-chef kitchens) of some chefs who are superstars today. Given the dates in question, I've convinced myself that Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller, Jean-Georges and Roger Vergé were actually cooking for me when I went to their restaurants. (Hey, a girl can always dream, can't she? ;) )

Anyway, check into the Dornenburg book to see if it adds any details to your project. And make sure you post the results when you're done. :)

"There are dogs, and then there are German Shepherds.... "- Unknown

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Thomas Keller makes the people that work for him so much better.

The "family tree" idea is great, but I'm not sure about this rationale. Keller is situated such that he need only accept the most talented/highest potential talent applicants. To truly gauge this, one would need to measure/compare the number of people who flame out after working for high profile chefs vs. those that become stars.

Edited by KD1191 (log)

True rye and true bourbon wake delight like any great wine...dignify man as possessing a palate that responds to them and ennoble his soul as shimmering with the response.

DeVoto, The Hour

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The Chicago Reader plotted out the relationships among that city's chefs back in 2006:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/pdf/060414/060414_family_tree.pdf

It's worth pointing out that Richard Blais worked for Keller at the same time as Achatz.

Dave Scantland
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