Chef School Review is a guide to chef schools offering education, diplomas, and degree programs (including Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Programs) in cooking and culinary arts.

By Kirk Bangstad
Kirk.bangstad@chefschoolreview.com
Chef School Review Columnist

Book Examines Short but Fascinating Chef Career

There is a new book out called The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski. It is the biography of a famous French Chef named of Bernard Loiseau. Loiseau made headlines in 2003 by committing suicide at the height of his career. The Perfectionist illustrates the type of pressure chefs often experience when trying to maintain top-notch restaurants.

The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC) prepares more students in the Chicago area for successful careers in food service than any other culinary school — using the traditional, European hands-on approach to culinary education that was previously difficult to obtain in the Midwest. Affiliated with the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, CHIC combines classical cooking techniques with leading-edge American technology.

Thorough Chef Training Led to Three Stars

Loiseau set a goal at an early age to own and operate one of the best fine-dining restaurants in France. In order to do this, he needed to achieve a three star rating by Michelin, the "gold standard" of restaurant guides in France. Loiseau first started his chef training by finding menial chef jobs under some of France's finest kitchen artists. While his chef salary was low during these years, he eventually learned enough to set out on his own and open a restaurant. Having completed his chef education, Loiseau borrowed money to open a small hotel and restaurant in the outskirts of Paris. Once completed, he passionately promoted his restaurant named Cote d'Hor to the Michelin guide, and finally earned a three star rating. This honor is only given to approximately 20 restaurants throughout the entire country. The guide praised him for his culinary simplicity. He maintained that his sauces were merely created to bring out the natural flavors of the foods he cooked.

...But also a Lot of Stress

Maintaining the three star rating apparently took a toll on Loiseau. Once he received a less than excellent review from the GaultMillau, another French culinary guide. This sub par review made him worry incessantly that he would lose a Michelin star. Eventually, that obsession for perfection consumed Loiseau. Before ending his life, he apparently suffered a nervous breakdown. Throughout his chef career, he would often have mood swings that would make him very dark. Many think he may have been bipolar.

Good Book for those Interested in Chef Careers

Although The Perfectionist deals with a dark subject, it is a great book for aspiring chefs. Chelminski is obviously a culinary aficionado, and his book describes the art of cooking beautifully. Loiseau's story is helpful for those who want to learn what it takes to have a glorious chef career. Culinary students will be able to see how much chef training goes into becoming a skilled culinary artist. Even if your chef career is limited to throwing a bagel in the microwave, this book will shed insights into the human condition, and may even tempt your taste buds.

About the Author

Kirk Bangstad is an artist manager and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University

Posted on September 8, 2005 at 3:37 PM

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