A riveting behind-the-scenes look at the world of three-star French
haute cuisine as revealed through the biography of one of Frances most celebrated chefs,
The Perfectionist is an unforgettable portrait of Bernard Loiseau, and the sophisticated, unforgiving world of French gastronomy. Loiseau was one of only twenty-five French chefs to hold Europes highest culinary award, three stars in the
Michelin Red Guide, and only the second chef to be personally awarded the Legion of Honor by a head of state. Despite such triumphs, he shocked the culinary world by taking his own life in February, 2003. One of the ratings for his restaurant had taken a disappointing drop, and rumors swirled that he was on the verge of losing a Michelin star (a prediction that proved to be inaccurate). Recounting his ascension to wealth and fame, Chelminski unravels the complex character of Loiseau while giving a fascinating, unvarnished glimpse inside an echelon filled with competition, culture wars, and impossibly high standards. BACKCOVER: Loiseau seems likely to become a mordant icon of the eternal war between critics and cooks
[Chelminski] has a moving story to tell, with universal implications: the downfall of the artist through perfectionism and paranoia.
Adam Gopnick,
The New Yorker
The Perfectionist tells, in rich detail, the story of Bernard Loiseaus rapid rise and desperate efforts to stay on top, but this cautionary tale is also a deeply informed guide to the last half century of French cuisine
William Grimes,
The New York Times One of the finest and most incisive portraits of a chef ever writtenand a sobering account of the real human costs of being the best. A book as strong on "who" cooks as "what" is cooking. Absolutely fascinating."
Anthony Bourdain, author of the
New York Times bestseller
Kitchen Confidential A revealing look at the rise and fall of French chef Bernard Loiseau
People Magazines Great Reads
The Perfectionist is a good book: knowledgeable, revealing, and informative. It brings back to life in very believable ways a man who much of the time was, as the cliché goes, larger than life.
Johnathan Yardley,
The Washington Post
rich and finely detailed
if youre at all curious about what makes our always maddening yet intriguing allies tick, then tuck into
The Perfectionist...
USA Today
The Perfectionist examines Loiseaus suicide in the context of French culinary history, delving deep into the mad passion that seems to drive many master chefs
Mouthwatering descriptions abound
the behind-the-scenes look at the kitchens of some of Frances finest restaurants is fascinating
The Boston Globe
The Perfectionist effectively reveals the pressure-cooker atmosphere among a culinary elite dominated by intense rivalries, fickle reviewers, and hypercritical chefs for whom there is no such thing as second best.
Entertainment Weekly Rudolph Chelminski is an excellent and absorbing writer who obviously understands the inner workings of the culinary world, as well as how chefs think. His empathy for the industry as a whole - and for Bernard Loiseau in particular - makes
The Perfectionist a fascinating read.
Daniel Boulud, Chef/Owner DANIEL, author of
Letters to a Young Chef and
Daniel Bouluds Café Boulud Cookbook.
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