Cooking for Kings

1. Abandoned Orphan Rises to Culinary Stardom

Antonin did not wander for long the streets which Madame Tussaud later described as bloodstained and littered with 'appalling objects'.

Revolutionary beginnings. Born Marie Antoine Carême in 1783 Paris, amidst the turmoil of the French Revolution, he was abandoned by his impoverished father at the age of ten. This traumatic event occurred during the height of the Terror, a period marked by extreme violence and displacement in the city.

Taken in by a cook. Fortuitously, young Antonin was quickly taken in by a chophouse cook who offered him food and shelter in exchange for work. This marked the beginning of his unexpected journey into the culinary world, a stark contrast to the grim realities of the streets he narrowly avoided. His story became a powerful rags-to-riches narrative, embraced and embellished by those who later employed him.

Shaped by the times. Carême's difficult childhood and the revolutionary era profoundly shaped his perspective. He emerged from chaos to create order and classical beauty in his food, embodying the spirit of ascent and reinvention that characterized post-Revolutionary France. His life mirrored the dramatic changes sweeping through Parisian society and its burgeoning food scene.

2. Pastry Architecture Launches a Career

'I believe architecture to be the first amongst the arts,' he proclaimed, 'and the principal branch of architecture is confectionery.'

Early apprenticeship. After leaving the chophouse, Carême apprenticed with Sylvain Bailly, a renowned pâtissier on the rue Vivienne. This move was pivotal, placing him in the vibrant Palais Royal neighborhood, a hub of post-Revolutionary fashion, politics, and culinary innovation.

Library studies. During his free afternoons, Carême, a self-taught reader, spent hours at the Bibliothèque Nationale studying architectural books. He was particularly drawn to classical designs, temples, ruins, and exotic structures, seeing a direct connection between architectural principles and the art of confectionery.

Creating extraordinaires. Applying his studies, Carême began creating elaborate sugar-paste and marzipan centerpieces, known as pièces montées or extraordinaires. These towering, often inedible, architectural fantasies became his specialty, quickly gaining him a reputation in Paris and catching the eye of influential figures.

• Copied temples, pyramids, and fountains from books.
• Used sugar-paste, marzipan, and spun sugar.
• Often several feet high, designed for visual impact.

3. Talleyrand: The Diplomat Who Valued Gastronomy

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754-1838) had four great passions in life: conversation, politics, women and food.

A fortuitous connection. Carême's talent for extraordinaires brought him to the attention of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, a wily diplomat who navigated every French regime from Louis XVI to Louis-Philippe. Talleyrand, a renowned gourmet, recognized the power of food in diplomacy and social influence.

Mentorship and opportunity. Talleyrand's maître d', Boucher (a former chef to the Prince de Condé), facilitated Carême's move to a new pâtisserie, Gendron's, which allowed him to take on freelance commissions. These commissions came primarily from Talleyrand's household, first at the Hôtel Galliffet and later at the Hôtel Talleyrand.

Food as diplomacy. Carême became integral to Talleyrand's entertaining, cooking for glittering events attended by Napoleonic high society, foreign dignitaries, and influential figures. Talleyrand famously stated, "More casseroles" when asked what he needed to secure French rights at the Congress of Vienna, highlighting his belief in the strategic importance of fine dining.

• Cooked for Napoleon and Josephine.
• Entertained ambassadors and political figures.
• Used banquets to build alliances and influence.

4. Gastronomy Emerges as a French Cult

Gastronomy ~ the 'art of good eating ' as termed by the Académie Française ~ emerged in the first decade of the nineteenth century.

Post-Revolutionary food scene. The French Revolution, by overturning guild restrictions and displacing aristocratic chefs, inadvertently fueled the rise of the public restaurant and a new focus on food. Paris became the capital of this burgeoning culinary scene.

Codifying good taste. Writers like Grimod de la Reynière, with his Almanach des Gourmands, began to codify the "art of good eating," guiding the newly wealthy bourgeoisie on what and how to dine. This created a public fascination with food and the chefs who created it.

Chef as celebrity. This era marked the first time chefs began to gain public recognition. Carême, with his spectacular extraordinaires and association with powerful figures, became a central figure in this new "cult" of gastronomy, his name appearing in guides and gossip. His pâtisserie window on the rue de la Paix became a celebrated landmark.

5. Cooking for Kings and Emperors Across Europe

'My cooking,' he boasted 'was the advance guard of French diplomacy.'

Beyond Paris. Carême's reputation, cultivated through Talleyrand's network and his published works, led to opportunities to cook for Europe's most powerful rulers. He served Tsar Alexander I in Paris, the Prince Regent (later George IV) in England, and Lord Stewart (British Ambassador) in Vienna.

Imperial households. Working for these figures provided Carême with unparalleled resources, large staffs, and magnificent kitchens, such as those at the Brighton Pavilion. These experiences allowed him to refine his techniques and develop new dishes on a grand scale.

Diplomatic dinners. His banquets were not merely meals but elaborate spectacles, intended to impress guests and serve diplomatic ends. Carême saw himself as contributing to France's influence on the international stage through his culinary art.

• Cooked for Tsar Alexander I at the Elysée Palace.
• Served the Prince Regent at Carlton House and the Brighton Pavilion.
• Catered for Lord Stewart at the British Embassy in Vienna.

6. Innovations in the Kitchen and on the Plate

Carême's invention of the vol-au-vent ~ so light it literally 'flew-on-the-wind ' out of the oven ~ is traditionally ascribed to this time and place.

Master of pastry. Building on his early training, Carême revolutionized pastry-making. He is credited with inventing the vol-au-vent and popularizing the piped meringue, transforming simple ingredients into elegant creations.

Codifying sauces. Carême brought order to the chaotic world of sauces, proposing that all French sauces derived from four fundamental "mother sauces": velouté, béchamel, espagnol, and allemande. This classification provided a framework for future generations of chefs.

Elevating presentation. While mastering traditional service à la française with its elaborate buffets and symmetrical arrangements, Carême also embraced and refined service à la russe (sequential plated courses). He emphasized the visual appeal of individual dishes and the importance of fresh, seasonal ingredients, advocating for lighter, more natural flavors over heavy spicing.

• Developed the concept of "mother sauces."
• Advocated for seasonal produce.
• Refined both service à la française and service à la russe.

7. The Unhappy Year in England

'Each day,' he said 'the differences between our two countries ~ so similar and yet so foreign to each other ~ become clearer and I [feel] increasingly not so much a homesickness as sickness of soul.'

Lured by high pay. Carême accepted an offer from the Prince Regent in 1816, reportedly for an astonishing £2,000 a year, making him the highest-paid chef of his time. He was drawn by the promise of magnificent kitchens and a princely budget at Carlton House and the Brighton Pavilion.

Cultural clashes. Despite the lavish resources and the Prince Regent's appreciation for his food, Carême was deeply unhappy in England. He felt isolated by the English staff, who resented his high salary and refusal to participate in the traditional system of selling leftover food entitlements.

Homesickness and ill health. Exacerbated by the English climate and fogs, which worsened his respiratory problems, Carême suffered from profound homesickness and a "sickness of soul." He found the English court's social dynamics and the kitchen hierarchy difficult to navigate, leading him to request a return to France after less than a year.

8. Russia and the Birth of Service à la Russe

When the Tsar eventually moved from the rue Saint Florentin to the Elysée Palace, he was so taken with Carême and his food he asked whether he could borrow the chef for the duration of his stay in Paris.

Serving the Tsar. Carême first cooked for Tsar Alexander I in Paris in 1814, when the Tsar stayed at Talleyrand's palace after Napoleon's defeat. Impressed, the Tsar later invited Carême to serve in the Imperial Household in St. Petersburg.

A challenging environment. Carême's time in Russia in 1819 was brief and fraught with challenges. He found the autocratic court and the vast, serf-staffed kitchens overwhelming. He was also subjected to humiliating surveillance, suspected of being a spy due to his association with Talleyrand.

Endorsing a new style. Despite his difficulties, Carême was exposed to and later championed service à la russe, where plated courses are served sequentially. He saw its advantages over service à la française for ensuring food was served hot and allowing for better control over the dining experience, although he still appreciated the visual spectacle of the French style.

• Noted the Russian use of flowers for table decoration.
• Observed the practice of chefs serving at table.
• Imported Russian dishes like borsch and koulibiac to France.

9. The Rothschilds: Wealth, Society, and Celebrity

If the nouveau-riche man shares the good-life with his friends at table, he finds nobility of character and his soul is happy.

A new kind of patron. After returning to France, Carême was eventually hired by James and Betty de Rothschild, a banking family whose immense wealth symbolized the rise of the new bourgeoisie. Despite their lack of aristocratic lineage, Carême found them truly "noble" in their appreciation for fine food and their generosity.

Building social status. The Rothschilds used Carême's culinary genius as a key tool in their campaign to gain acceptance and ascendancy in Parisian high society. Their lavish dinners and balls at their rue Laffitte townhouse became legendary, attracting artists, musicians, and political figures.

Chef as modern celebrity. Working for the Rothschilds propelled Carême into a new level of fame. His name was linked with prominent cultural figures like Rossini, Chopin, and Ingres, and his dinners were reported in the press, making him a celebrity in a modern sense, beyond just culinary circles.

10. The Chef as Author and Codifier of Cuisine

My prayer is not to end my days in a château, but in my humble lodgings in Paris.

Documenting his art. Throughout his career, Carême meticulously documented his recipes, techniques, and experiences. He believed it was a chef's duty to record and publish their work for posterity.

Published works. Carême authored several influential cookbooks, starting with Le Pâtissier royal parisien (1815), which became a bestseller. His later works, including Maître d'hôtel français (1822) and the multi-volume L'Art de la cuisine français au 19ème siècle, codified haute cuisine and provided unprecedented insights into the world of royal catering.

Lasting legacy. His books established him as the foremost authority on French cuisine and laid the groundwork for modern cookery writing. They were widely read by chefs across Europe and influenced culinary practices for generations, ensuring his techniques and philosophy endured long after his death.

• Le Pâtissier royal parisien detailed pastry techniques and extraordinaires.
• Maître d'hôtel français included menus for every day of the year and insights into royal households.
• L'Art de la cuisine français was his comprehensive encyclopaedia of haute cuisine.

11. A Life Consumed by Fire and Art

'Our work destroys us,' Carême once said of the life of a great chef.

Occupational hazards. Carême's lifelong dedication to his art came at a significant personal cost. He suffered from chronic respiratory problems, likely due to inhaling charcoal fumes in the hot, poorly ventilated kitchens of the era.

Personal struggles. Despite his professional success, Carême's personal life was marked by difficulty. His first marriage ended, and his relationship with his daughter Marie, born from a later relationship, appears to have been strained, particularly towards the end of his life.

A lonely end. Carême spent his final years in Paris, ill but still writing furiously. He died in 1833, likely from complications related to carbon-monoxide poisoning and possibly tuberculosis. His death occurred during a cholera epidemic, and his grave remained unmarked for decades, a poignant end for the man who had defined culinary grandeur.

• Suffered from respiratory illness.
• Experienced strained family relationships.
• Died relatively young, consumed by his demanding profession.

Last updated: June 1, 2025