Generations.C creating an uproar in the kitchen!
As it is absolutely essential to liberate French gastronomy from the star rating system, an emerging cohort of "young chefs" rebelling against preconceived ideas, and lead by Gilles Choukroun (Mini-Palais, L'Angl'Opéra...) have literally decided to revolutionize culinary arts. A passion for foreign and unusual flavours, French cuisine is alive and thriving!
A ballad to creativity
2003: renowned French Chef Loiseau decided to take his life ; several months later, Spain
(El Bulli) dethroned France (Pierre Gagnaire) to the rank of amongst the most dynamic countries, gastronomically speaking, immediately raising the questioning of the permanence of so-called French culinary supremacy... It did not take more than that to instil an air of uneasiness within our economic and cultural jewel. Luckily, for some time now, a young generation of Chefs, more or less star awardees, are exploring avenues for more daring flavours, opting for unbridled imagination, without any taboos. Their goals? Reinventing French gastronomy, making it less stifling, more fun and more blatantly creative. Reviving points of contention between old masters and the modern young, who without neglecting local products, use them without moderation, like a source of inspiration. No doubt, the new wave of French cuisine is already in the makings...!
Going beyond rivalries..
This new movement uses new tools to destructure flavours, dares to address, with humour, the dictates of the holier than thou French gastronomy; "ignores the star rating system, and again breathes in a friendly atmosphere in a space that ends up lacking it, etc...: Above all, Generations.C is calling for a new mindset. Because to go beyond the purely associative spirit, means to go beyond past rivalries and the squabbles of the clique to create a kind of family link (the reason for the "s") working towards the free association of flavours and textures. And the curtain is up for the series of the «Surprise dinner» (at Pascal Barbot's), of the «Confidence Menu » (at Jacques Décoret's), highly revolutionary culinary associations (goose liver and Carambar...) and workshops to whet the appetites of youngsters. Of course behind all this is obviously the ambition to once again « glamorize » the culinary arts so that French cuisine does not stop being awarded stars...
Estelle Burget
Décembre 2008
