Gastronomy with roots and commitment

People as the main ingredient

Under the bell, a transparent plate?

Long in the shadows the kitchen takes center stage today. In the 19th century, Grimod de la Reynière referred to a «Food art»while admitting the opacity and lack of recognition of this environment stating: «it's not the case with this art as with all the others; those who stand out the most are barely known.». This mentality has long persisted, with CAP cuisine and hotel schools considered second-rate. Since then, the publication of chefs' recipe books and the popular success of cooking shows such as Top Chef or Masterchef have helped to make break the anonymity of chefs and promote the culinary professions and professional reconversions are exploding.

This recognition of culinary skills, in every sense of the word, gives rise to a vast body of literature every year, and Grimod de la Reynière is responsible for the forerunner of our own gastronomic guides : l'almanach des gourmands. For the next 9 years, the periodical would feature «nutritious strolls through Paris neighbourhoods». The book illustrates the emergence and popularity of restaurants (the first opened in Paris in 1765) and inaugurates food journalism.

Although sometimes disputed, the success of the famous red and green guides remains. If the initiative seems late in coming, the Michelin Guide inaugurated in 2020 a new pictogram for sustainable gastronomy : the green star. From procurement to waste management, the entire production cycle is taken into account. This committed, conscientious cuisine that embraces innovation without denying tradition. 82 tables were included in this first sustainable selection, including Le Clos des Sens directed by Laurent Petit in Annecy or the 3-star Mauro Colagreco perched on a hillside above Menton. Visit Mirazur is also the 1st certified zero-plastic restaurant in the world.

On the subject of plastics, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is edifying. 8 million tonnes of plastic waste reach marine ecosystems every year (the equivalent of a garbage truck being unloaded at sea every minute). Our oceans now contain over 150 million tonnes of plastic. At this rate, by 2050, the weight of plastic waste will surpass that of fish. Ingested by marine organisms, plankton and fish (and therefore by humans), micro plastics (contained mainly in the synthetic fibers of our clothing) and chemical substances such as mercury. participate in our own poisoning.

Few, however, go as far as Christophe Aribert. Based in Uriage, the two-star chef and awarded Michelin green star has made its Maison Aribert a unique example of sustainable and committed gastronomy. The tasting experience encourages return to oneself as a reconnection with nature and extends from the guest room to the holistic therapeutic treatments offered in this enchanting setting.

Bringing brigades and producers out of the shadows is a social issue, transparency is another. In France and abroad, every region has its own specialties, standards of his cultural identity. AOC, PDO and labelsto protect these delicacies, which are an integral part of our local heritage. Now, more than ever, in the light of numerous health scandals, the question of the challenge of food security exacerbated by the COVID 19 crisis: it's high time to guarantee traceability of our food as demonstrate its environmental footprint.

If the vegetarian diet is winning over more and more enthusiasts for for dietary or ecological reasons, meat lovers are putting up a fight. Meat, the object of desire, is sold in butcher's shops that have nothing to envy the finest houses of luxury and the gourmets talk about marble a Kobe beef (selling for between 200 and 500 euros a kilo), a Wagyu beef or a Galician blonde with the same rapture as gemologists in front of a precious stone. These meats of carefully controlled origin and quality are meticulously monitored from rearing to slaughter.

In Paris, the Boucherie Grégoire offers Prince de Paris ham (the last of the Parisian hams) and entrecôtes à la façon de bijoux in its shop windows and on its e-commerce site. A meaty assortment that's no sooner on display than it's sold out! The brand defines itself as «ethical, gastronomic, cultural and societal trade»a project that goes beyond the simple search for good food by choosing local breeders hand-picked for their products and practices.

Transparent historical approach or well-crafted marketing concept, The Silver Tower, the emblematic restaurant born under Henri III (where Christophe Aribert once worked), has been serving its signature dish, imagined by Frédéric Delair the blood duck numbered service and cut without touching the dish. Franklin Roosevelt revelled in 1929 in the volatile N° 112 151 and Elizabeth II tasted duck N° 185 397 there in 1948. It is even said that the fork made its appearance in France so that’Henri IV doesn't stain its immaculate strawberry. It still costs 145 euros per guest to get the winning number...

Humanist cuisine with values

From the most elaborate table settings to the simplest meal, isn't cooking associated with generosity and share? Restaurants, which were considered non-essential by government measures during the COVID 19 health crisis, have proved that there's more to life than their menus.

A celebration of the senses and emotion (all Proust's narrator needs is a madeleine to plunge him back into his childhood), cooking is also a way of life. a story of encounters and teams. Brigades and producers are the source of thousands of plates served daily with passion. La recognition of small producers is now featured on the menus of restaurants that proudly mention their partners: a transparent, authentic approachcelebrating sharing cuisine from fork to fork.

Shopkeepers and restaurateurs know crucial role played by our farmers and breeders. First and foremost, they are committed to more sustainable production methods that respect the earth, the air and our water resources. Some farm their plots using permaculture or agroforestry techniques, combining animal husbandry, tree planting and agricultural crops. Our food, consciously selected, can then sustain the soil, biodiversity, producers and their partners as well as our families..

Let's not forget that «restore»meansrefurbish»It would be a good thing if.., from field to plate, our such a carnal relationship with food and gourmet pleasures restores pleasure without losing its splendour or cutting us off from our roots.