Because baking isn't just about delivering "beautiful" pastries, I've chosen 10 quotes from great French pastry chefs to reflect their culture, their mindset and to inspire you to create your next pastries and cakes.
These sentences can’t be translated, that’s why I’ll explain their concept, their message by transliterate at best the values they convey.
1# François Daubinet - “Je crois que ma génération est celle de l’audace. Nous cherchons à repousser les limites, tant sur le fond que sur la forme.” “Les idées ne viennent malheureusement pas comme ça je n’en ai pas tous les jours ... Le talent de mes confrères pousse aussi au dépassement de soi. Tout cela est très motivant et c’est ce que j’aime.”
What does it mean ? The new generation is characterized by boldness and surpassing oneself. Classic isn’t enough, bakers transgress rules and are looking for something unusual.
2# Pierre Hermé - “Ne vous contentez pas de ce qu’on veut bien vous apprendre, mais allez au-delà et cherchez à apprendre” Pierre Hermé used to push his apprentices to be curious. Daring and desire to always learn allows to open up the field of possibilities and to create every day new extraordinary pastries.
3# Jessica Préalpato defines ‘deserality’ like so : c’est le fait de mettre au maximum le produit local en avant. Ne pas le dénaturer ; le sublimer au contraire. The quality of the product is very important, the goal is to sublimate the fruit and the ingredients used, but not to transform it.
4# Carl Marletti - “Mon idée c’était de faire une bijouterie à gâteaux”. Carl compares his bakery shop to a jewelry store. This quote implies that his creations must be excellent in composition and appearance.
5# Cyril Lignac - “Pour moi, une bonne pâtisserie, c’est quelque chose qui te touche, qui te réconforte, quelque chose qui te donne du plaisir.” With more sentimental memory, a pastry supposes, above all, comfort and touch people in order to create a positive emotion.
6# Jeffrey Cagnes - “On a choisi ce métier d’abord parce que le fait main, c’est ce qui nous anime. On ne maîtrise pas toujours la cuisson de tous nos produits. On est toujours focus sur la porte du four. C’est notre télévision à nous” “Une valeur très importante: c’est l’échange”. His job is a craft, the handmade is the most impacting factor. Whether it’s to exchange with the customer or with his team, it’s all about sharing.
7# Julien Alvarez - “Je ne cherche pas à ce que ma pâtisserie soit intéressante ou originale, je veux qu’elle régale tout le monde et qu’elle soit foncièrement gourmande ! Tout le reste doit être un support au plaisir procuré.” Pleasure is the key for incredible pastry, Julien creates a pastry to make it greedy. Once again, taste remains the fundamental basis of a good French pastry. A good cake is a cake that treats everyone.
8# According to Claire Damon baking is : “C’est le prolongement de la nature que je continue dans mes gâteaux” Claire Damon cares about products sourcing. The process of creation is only the extension and respect of the culture of a fruit, a condiment, a spice. The aim is to sublimate the raw material without distorting it.
9# What fascinates Yann Menguy is “Travailler un produit avec ses mains, se dire qu'on peut le transformer. Il y a un côté magicien” His motivation factor ? Pleasure. When many people talk about competition, discipline and the constraints of baking industry, he is filled with passion, fun and love of the product. “Je n'ai aucun mauvais souvenir” His passion is the work of craftsmanship: knowing how to transform a product to create the sublime is like performing a magic trick.
10# Cedric Grolet - "Le beau fait venir , le bon fait revenir" According to Cedric, we attract people with visuals, but retain them with taste.
11# Philippe Conticini - “Toucher l’âme des gens par la gourmandise” The pastry chef shares through his pastries a part of his soul. For him, making a pastry is to touch people at the deepest level. Pastry is to succeed in making a personal memory, a universal emotion.
Hope you get inspired by these quotes.
Lea from The Paris-Best
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