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Chef from France - sounds enchanting! Philippe Laruelle is one of the most famous chefs Lorraine, northeastern region of France. He is the head chef of le Val Joli, a Michelin Guide featured restaurant. Moreover, Philip entered the history of cooking as the youngest chef accepted into the European Association of Chefs - he was only 29 years old at that time.

An imposing guest from France told us about his career and shared his impressions of Russian cuisine.

Profession by inheritance

Philip, why did you decide to become a chef, is it hereditary?

Yes, I fell in love with cooking at an early age. My father was a cook. In France, there is an expression: "I fell into a saucepan, into a bowler hat." So, I fell into a very large bowler hat (Philip himself is quite tall and - ed. note) ... The work carried me away!

My father probably talked at home about some professional problems. Aren't you tired of listening to conversations on the culinary topic?

No, all my life I wanted to be a chef. My sister, for example, on the contrary, could not even hear about anything like that. And in my heart there was a desire to learn to be a cook. Moreover, this need is difficult to explain, it is irrational.

Who usually cooked at home, dad the cook or mom?

Usually in my family it was accepted that women, mothers, housewives were responsible for the kitchen. But my mother can't cook at all! She had no choice but to marry professional chef and entrust the creation of dishes to him.

Do you also cook not only at work, but also at home? Doesn't this monotony tire you?

Yes, I am in charge of the kitchen. No, I don’t get bored at all, because when I cook something for myself or for my friends, I get tremendous pleasure from it! Just when my guests or clients of my restaurant enthusiastically thank: “It was delicious, we really liked it, we had a great time!”, these words inspire me, and I immediately forget about fatigue.

You can't work without love

Like in France« grow up» from chef to chef, what does it take?

Education is very important. It's also about working with other chefs. You learn from different masters so that you can take the best from each for yourself. And then you develop your own cuisine, you start creating dishes. But education and experience are not everything. The most important thing is love for the profession, without it nothing will work.

You became a chef very early, how did you manage to do it and how long does this process usually take?

I managed to learn the abbreviated form. It helped that from the very childhood I began to master the profession, my father worked with me a lot. On average, it takes a French chef about 10 years to learn the basics to create their own cuisine. But, I must say, in our profession you can never assume that you know everything. Every day you need to learn something new and endlessly improvise. Our travels bring us new knowledge and inspire us, manufacturers create new equipment and utensils, more and more innovative every year. We need to master everything, get acquainted with these inventions. The profession of a cook, culinary specialist is interesting because every day we learn something new. We cannot repeat ourselves.

Why are men considered to cook? better women? Do you agree with this? Or are there enough talented women among the cooks?

Let me explain where this expression came from in France: in the old days, utensils and culinary equipment were very heavy, conditions for cooking were difficult, chefs had to lift heavy weights, work required great physical effort. That is why men feel better in this profession. But thanks to progress in the kitchen, it is now much more comfortable, and there are more and more women among cooks. In general, the level of professionalism in men and women is the same. Even, on the contrary, women, unlike us, have intuition, sensitivity, which helps them in their work.

you lead cooking courses. How do you think everyone can be taught to cook?

Yes, absolutely everyone. But only if a person has a desire to learn. This, by the way, applies to any occupation. Everything is possible, the main thing is to want.

There is such folk wisdom: "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Is it possible to conquer such an expert as a chef with delicious food?

I'm sure it happens! Cooked by a woman tasty food conquer even a specialist.

There is no friend for the taste and color, but what dish can be called tasty by a professional?

I often repeat that the taste of a dish is made primarily by the products from which it is created. So, they must be fresh and of high quality. By the way, this is also part of the chef's job: to be able to choose good products in the right season. If you take dubious ingredients, then even best chef they won't do anything good in the world. And when the products are good, and the person has the necessary skills, and he has necessary equipment- then everything will be delicious! In France, there is an expression: “It is necessary that the chicken die without reason!”. That is, it must be prepared well.

France is the country where they are born fashion trends. And what is fashionable in the field of cooking today?

There are different trends. For example, recently everyone was addicted molecular cuisine, used scientific achievements to create unprecedented, fantastic dishes and flavor combinations. Ultra-high or ultra-low temperatures, pressures and special equipment allowed to obtain dishes of non-standard shape, color, texture, taste. But, to be honest, molecular gastronomy is not my favorite direction. I prefer to cook from natural products, and in such a way as to preserve their vitamins, taste qualities And useful material. As for fashion, it is a passing phenomenon. All trends gradually become obsolete, so that later, many years later, they become relevant again. In gastronomy, everything is the same as in the world of clothing. Everything repeats itself, as if going in a vicious circle. But the base remains. Both vegetables and fruits will never be irrelevant.

In Tomsk, you held a master class for professional chefs...

Yes, there were a lot of participants, about 50 people. I made pink trout pie of Lorraine, fricassee (meat in white sauce) chicken and cold appetizer from carrot cubes with salt dough cookies and parmesan cheese. All the products I needed were bought at the local market. This was the purpose of the master class - to show that an unusual, "French" presentation is possible. familiar products. By the way, I found out that our regions are somewhat similar: both you and ours grow a lot of mushrooms and berries. And it should be used in the kitchen.

A little personal

What can you say about Russian cuisine?

During the few days that I spent in Siberia, I did not manage to taste much, but the dishes that I tasted were very High Quality, I liked them. I think that in your area there are representatives of different nationalities and different cultures, and this is very noticeable in the kitchen, in the dishes that you cook. And the choice is very large, everyone will find something to their liking.

Can you single out a particular dish?

I liked the ear!

What are the main principles of chef Philippe Laruelle's work?

I am sure: everything in the kitchen needs a strict approach, both to hygiene and to the work itself. I am also demanding of myself. My other principle is that when I create, create new dishes, I certainly write down recipes, record in detail how many ingredients were needed, and note the cooking time. It is impossible to remember everything, and customers may like the dish, and even if they come to our restaurant only after a few years, they will want to taste it again. I need to know what exactly they need to cook and stick to the old recipe. Or suddenly I will be away, then my assistant will make everything up to standard according to my recipe. So strict accounting in work is good for both the chef and the restaurant.

Text: Maria Simonova

April 29, 2017 No comments

French chefs' recipes are both sophisticated and simple, chic and economical, complex and consistent. french cuisine undoubtedly had an impact on the formation of the entire modern culinary both European and other countries of the world. It is hard to imagine a restaurant menu without French first dishes and snacks, salads and sauces, french pastries and baguettes, stews, cheeses, as well as desserts. French chefs pride themselves on a variety of meat terrines and baked pâtés that can be economically and successfully replaced sausages or ham.

French cuisine originated as a cuisine of the provinces, which was dictated by local ingredients and products, it is connected with the traditions of individual corners and regions of France. French chefs are true fans of their craft, who want to bring every dish to perfection, and are very passionate about their craft. Even ordinary people in France are often well versed in the details. fine dining. in the capital of France in the 17th century. the first restaurant appeared, which was the beginning of the formation of French cuisine.

French chefs know more than 3 thousand variety of sauces. The variety of sauces is due to the use of various spices and spices, traditionally the recipes include: tarragon, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, parsley, Provencal herbs and many more. French cuisine is famous for its cheeses, their number exceeds more than two hundred types. French chefs actively use vegetables in recipes, the most popular are artichokes, lettuce, cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes, onions and garlic. Known vegetable dish French chefs - ratatouille.

French cuisine has invented many recipes delicious meals, pastries and wonderful desserts. In this article, chefs from French cuisine share classic recipes dishes that are the most simple and affordable, which will allow you to cook them at home.

Onion soup is a classic French soups. The history of its appearance is as follows - it was first prepared by the King of France, Louis XV. One night he wanted to eat, but the only food that ended up in his hunting lodge was an onion, oil and champagne. He mixed all the ingredients and thus the onion soup was created.

Currently, onion soup is prepared on the basis of meat, chicken or vegetable broths. To make the aroma of the soup more vivid, it is necessary for a long time sauté the onion. In order to give original taste French chefs add white to onion soup table wine or sherry, after which it is insisted. Also as ingredients onion soup cheese is used, as well as croutons.

200 g onion
a pinch of salt
15 g sugar
20 g butter
20 ml vegetable oil
40 ml red wine
120 g chicken broth
30 g beef demi-glace
10 g Worcestershire sauce
30 g flour
20 g cheese
60 g duck fillet
spinach leaves
baguette bread

Cut the onion into small strips and fry over low heat for about 40 minutes. on vegetable oil, adding butter and 15 g of sugar, then pour in the wine and evaporate, add chicken bouillon, 10 g of Worcestershire sauce and 30 g of fried flour, mix everything thoroughly. Boil until tender for 35-40 minutes. over low heat, then add finely chopped garlic, let it brew.

Rinse the duck fillet, fry in vegetable oil, bring in the oven to fully prepared. Cut the baguette, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake until golden brown. Heat soup, add duck fillet, bring to taste by adding salt and black pepper. Pour the soup into portion plates, top with cheese croutons, garnish with small spinach leaves.

200 g chicken fillet
1 bulb
salt
olive oil - 1 tbsp
hard cheese- 40 g
champignons - 40 g

Wash the chicken fillet, dry it, put it on a cutting board, covered cling film and pound with a kitchen mallet. Remove the film, brush the fillets on both sides with oil, cover again with cling film and leave for about 20 minutes. Heat up a dry skillet. Fry the fillet in a whole piece for 5 minutes on each side. Remove from fire.

Peel the onion, chop finely. Wash the champignons, put them on a paper towel to drain the water; then cut into small pieces. Put the onions and mushrooms in a saucepan, put on moderate heat and cook, stirring from time to time, so that all the moisture that has been released by the mushrooms evaporates.

After chicken fillet cooled down, cut it, spread it on cocottes.

cook cream sauce. Add mushrooms, onion and nutmeg to it. Salt, pepper to taste and stir. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Grate the cheese on a medium grater. Pour the sauce into the chicken cocotte bowls and top with the grated cheese. Place in oven and bake until golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Rabbit meat - 1.5 kg
fatty pork - 300 g
bacon - 8 strips
carrots - 1 pc.
onion- 1 PC.
white dry wine– 0.5 l
cognac - 50 ml
egg- 1 PC.
vegetable oil - 2 tbsp.
butter - 1 tbsp.
parsley - 1 bunch
thyme - 2 sprigs
Bay leaf- 2 pcs.
ground nutmeg - pinch
salt
pepper

Step 1
Wash the rabbit meat, cut the meat from the bones. Put the meat in a deep bowl, add dry wine, a little salt, pepper and a pinch nutmeg. Stir, cover and refrigerate for 10 hours. Place the bones in a bag and refrigerate.

Step 2
Peel and chop the onion and carrot. Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a saucepan, fry the rabbit bones until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onions and carrots, cook 5 minutes.

Step 3
Pour 50 g of cognac, rabbit marinade and 0.5 l of water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the decoction through a fine sieve. Pour 200 ml of decoction into a clean bowl, add chopped parsley and thyme leaves. Let cool.

Step 4
Set the rabbit leg meat aside. Pass the rest of the meat, as well as pork through a meat grinder. Mix minced meat with pre-prepared broth (200 ml) and chicken egg. Whisk well.

Step 5
Cut the meat set aside with a knife into medium pieces. Mix with cooked mince.

Step 6
Line a wide baking dish with bacon strips. Lay out the resulting mass, put a couple of bay leaves on top of it. Cover with a lid and place on a baking sheet filled with water. Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for about 1.5 hours. Allow to cool in the form, then remove the terrine, cover and leave in cool place for the whole day.

In that light salad you can add both olive and other types of oils, such as pumpkin, almond or mustard oil.

1 clove crushed garlic
½ head lettuce
80 ml white wine vinegar
salt
100 g canned artichokes
6 art. l. olive oil
20 pcs. olives
4 tomatoes
2 tbsp. l. capers
4 chicken eggs

For making sauce. Remove the yolks from two eggs. Peel and chop the garlic clove. Mix yolks, garlic, vinegar With olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Rinse lettuce leaves, pat dry and tear with your hands large pieces. Wash the tomatoes and cut into slices. Combine tomatoes, canned artichokes, 20 olives and lettuce in a deep bowl. Mix well, season with sauce and arrange on plates. Cut the remaining chicken eggs into slices and decorate the salad with them.

2 tbsp. l. flour
2 large tomatoes
cream - 200 ml
hard grated cheese (ex. parmesan) - 3 tbsp. l.
2 chicken eggs
400 g cod fillet
frozen Brussels sprouts– 350 g
1 tbsp olive oil

Defrost Brussels sprouts, dip in lightly salted boiling water for about 4 minutes, drain on a sieve and let dry. Dry the cod fillet with a paper towel, cut into small pieces, breaded in flour, salt and pepper.

Cut the tomatoes into large cubes. big shape for baking, grease with oil, put cod fillet on it. Spread the small heads of cabbage evenly between the pieces of fish, and add the tomato slices. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Beat eggs with cream, add cheese, mix thoroughly, season a little with salt and pepper. Pour the resulting mixture of fish with vegetables, sprinkle with grated parmesan and put in the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes. Drain excess water and bake for another 10 minutes at 170 degrees.

4 tbsp. l. olive oil
70 ml dry white wine
2 tbsp. l. tomato paste
1 onion small
6 garlic cloves
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
2 eggplant
9-10 tomatoes
salt
parsley, basil

Finely chop the onion, fry for 3 minutes with garlic (pass a couple of cloves through a press). bell pepper cut into small cubes, add to the onion, fry for about 4 minutes. Take 4 tomatoes, peel them, pass through a blender, add to the fried onion mixture and simmer over moderate heat for about 5 minutes.

Put tomato paste, a pinch of salt and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer under a closed lid over low heat for about five minutes. Pour half of the prepared mixture into a baking dish. Cut two eggplants, zucchini and tomatoes into thin circles and put in a baking dish.

Finely chop parsley, basil, sprinkle vegetables, add three cloves of garlic that were previously passed through a press, scatter a couple of sprigs of thyme, sprinkle with olive oil. Spread out the rest of the tomato paste. Bake the ratatouille in the oven for about one hour at 190 degrees.

Advice from the chef

It is advisable to cover the top of the baking dish with sheets of parchment.

250 g brie cheese
1 chicken egg
2 green onion feathers
200 g ready-made puff pastry
250 g cherry tomatoes

Wash the onion and cut into small rings. Wash and dry the cherry. Roll out the dough in a thin layer and cut out two circles from it, the diameter of which is about 23 cm. cold water.

Put the dough on a baking sheet. Place a circle of cheese in the middle. Arrange the tomatoes on the sides, sprinkle with onions.

Cover with the second layer of dough. Wet your hands and pinch the edges. Brush the dough with lightly beaten eggs. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove, let cool 5 minutes and serve. Bon appetit.

1 glass light beer
1 tsp dried thyme
0.5 kg minced veal
1 tsp ground sweet paprika
salt
2 onions
1 small red cabbage
hot red pepper

Separate the cabbage into leaves. Take large saucepan and boil lightly salted water, put cabbage leaves and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, let cool, then cut into small squares.

Peel and chop the onion. stir minced veal with onions, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp paprika, hot pepper and add salt to taste.

Put cabbage with minced meat in a baking dish. Stir. Pour in a glass of beer. Cover with parchment and cook in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for half an hour.

1 st. l. starch
2 onions
2 apples
1 kg pork ham
200 g sour cream
2 carrots
salt
pepper
2 bay leaves
80 ml vegetable oil
leek stalk
400 ml apple juice
1 st. l. Dijon mustard

Wash the pork and cut into medium-sized pieces. Peel an onion and two carrots. Cut the onion into cubes, and the carrot into thin slices. Rinse the leek well and cut into pieces about 3 cm long. Wash the apples and cut each into six pieces, remove the core.

In a skillet, fry the pork in hot vegetable oil, about three minutes on each side. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

In the same skillet, sauté the onion and leek for about 5 minutes. Add to pot with pork. Put two bay leaves in a saucepan, add carrots, pour in Apple juice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer under a tightly closed lid for half an hour.

In a saucepan, mix 200 g of sour cream with 1 tbsp. l. Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp. l. starch, put on low heat and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.

Pour the resulting mixture into the saucepan. Season with salt and mix thoroughly. Add the apples and cook for another 6 minutes until the apples soften and the sauce thickens.

This dish is like a large number of light and extremely delicious recipes, gained fame all over the world, but at the same time almost did not undergo any changes. Often fricassee is prepared from poultry meat, and a little less often from rabbit or veal.

Turkey breast - 1/2 kg
green beans- 200 g
dried mushrooms– 50 g
butter - 1 tbsp. l.
sour cream - 100 g
egg yolk
salt
ground black pepper
Mushrooms pour 1.5 cups of boiling water and close the lid. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

At this time, cut the turkey breast fillet into small pieces, put in a pot of boiling water, put on big fire and bring to a boil. Remove the foam, salt and cook for about five minutes.

While the fillet is cooking, boil the green beans in boiling lightly salted water for about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

Remove turkey from broth, let cool slightly.

Bring the broth to a boil. Reduce heat, add sour cream, turkey fillet, as well as mushrooms and beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix and cook for about 5 minutes. Add egg yolk, stir and remove from heat.

Tip from the chef:
There is a Cajun variation of the dish - lobster fricassee. It differs in that instead of beans and mushrooms, they add Bell pepper, garlic cloves and celery stalks.

Basil - 3 sprigs
classic tapenade - 100 g
2 tomatoes
2 giltheads medium
breadcrumbs

Cut the tomatoes crosswise, blanch in boiling water for about 30 seconds, pour over with cold water. Peel the skin and seeds, cut the flesh into long bars. Season with salt and pepper.

Clean the fish, gut, rinse thoroughly inside, dry. Coat one side with olive oil and the other side with tapenade mixed with breadcrumbs.

Place oiled side down on a baking sheet. Then lay the tomato slices on the fish. Bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for about 20 minutes. Garnish with basil before serving.

For the biscuit:
6 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
salt
50 g butter
50 ml milk
200 g sugar

For fondue:
dark chocolate -500 g
2 tbsp powdered sugar
200 ml cream
50 g butter

Fruits:
strawberries - 12 pcs.
apples - 2 pcs.
pears - 2 pcs.
pineapple - 1 small

Bake a biscuit. Sift flour with baking powder. Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks with milk, melted butter and sugar. Add flour, stir.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until thick foam. Gently fold into yolk mixture.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Use a baking sheet with deep sides, cover with parchment. Spray with water. Pour in biscuit dough. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

Cut the finished slightly cooled biscuit into cubes of about 3 cm. Place on a baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Break the chocolate into small pieces, put in a saucepan. Boil cream, add powdered sugar. Pour in a thin stream into the saucepan with the chocolate.
Add chopped in small pieces butter. Stir to form a glossy mass.

Wash fruits. Cut apples with pears into cubes, remove the core. Peel the pineapple and cut the pulp into cubes.
Pour the boiling chocolate mass into the fondue pot, light the alcohol burner and place it on the table. Serve dried fruit biscuit in a separate plate.
Fruits with biscuits must be dipped in the resulting chocolate mixture.

I have long dreamed of going to work in another country. Different people, different culture, different language. So when I was offered to become the chef of a French restaurant in Moscow, I couldn't believe it was true. Of course, I agreed without hesitation.

I already knew Russia through stories: my girlfriend is Russian, one of my cousins ​​is from Kazakhstan, and I have some Russian friends in France. But live everything turned out to be much more interesting. I knew that Russia in summer and Russia in winter are two different countries. So after moving my first winter, I waited with interest. To be honest, I was not ready for the -30 frosts that fell on Moscow this year. But, as I understand it, this was a big surprise for everyone, not only for me. And the fact that winter has been going on for almost half a year has also become a revelation for me. Sounds like Game of Thrones.

In general, you need to get used to this climate - either winter, or summer, or -30, or +30. It is clear why the Russian people are so hardened.

And the story of bathing at Epiphany is the most striking, perhaps, what I saw here. I was not aware that this phenomenon is so massive, I thought that it takes years of training and hardening. Imagine my surprise when I found out that most of my friends and colleagues went to bathe at Epiphany and invited me to come with them. I'm not even ready to watch yet. I wonder what I'll say in a year.

The most difficult moment of adaptation was, of course, at work. At first, I puzzled over how to arrange the work order if I do not speak Russian. Since the team was already formed and waiting for innovations, I had to work hard to make people want to listen and understand me. At first they thought that I would throw frying pans - as it turned out, many people think that all French chefs do this. This is not true - this is not only done in France, the Italians also sin with this. But this is not my approach, I am for diplomacy, everything can be explained in words.

It was more difficult with the guests, because the tastes of the French and Russians are very different. French cuisine is not widely represented in Moscow, so it was and remains my duty to bring it to the guests in the right way. As a result, it seems to me, I began to understand the tastes of the Russian people and reached a compromise. However, due to the lack of many products, I just have to develop innovative approaches.

I really like some Russian products. In Russia, excellent king crabs with a very soft, slightly sweet taste and delicate texture. Very good quality from meat obtained by hunting. I also enjoy working with Russian fish, it is different and very interesting in taste, especially wild.

But what was my surprise when I began to hear that Russian cheeses are tastier than French ones! This is where I strongly disagree.

Le Restaurant

To be honest, I did not like Russian cheese at all. I'm still used to more bright taste. I understand that cheese making in Russia is very young, it is interesting to see what will happen in the coming years.

At work, I almost don’t feel the language barrier anymore - I adopt Russian expressions from my colleagues, it amuses them, because in Russian I only know the names of products and kitchen utensils. But in general, without language it is difficult. Here is a recent trip to the store and an attempt to buy beer I will remember for a long time: they asked me for documents, I showed them, but the saleswoman for a long time could not understand what I was showing her, whether it was a license or a medical policy. They eventually got together a whole council to decide whether to sell me beer or not.

I feel uncomfortable when everyone speaks Russian, jokes, laughs, and I don’t understand what is happening, even when this joke is translated to me. I also once couldn’t find the bar where my friends were waiting for me for an hour, because the taxi driver dropped me off in the wrong place, and I could hardly explain to people what exactly I needed and where I was at the moment. Horror, then laughed, of course, but you feel like a child. I also remember my first trip to McDonald's. I literally explained on my fingers for five minutes what I needed, waited ten minutes for the order, but I got 100% everything wrong. But I couldn't get angry, it was very funny.

I mainly communicate with colleagues and guests, because at work I spend most time. I try to find time and visit the restaurants of my colleagues, be sure to go to new places. Fortunately, I have many French and English speaking friends in Moscow who are always ready to keep me company. By the way, I am also making considerable steps forward - I began to learn Russian. It turned out to be incredibly difficult! But I firmly decided for myself that before the end of the year I would speak, at least in general phrases.

Of course, I miss my family and close friends, but we regularly call each other and keep in touch.

Last summer I was visited by my parents and a couple of friends who, unlike me, were very surprised by what they saw in Russia. They had a completely different vision of the country, I would say negative, but in the end they did not want to leave.

Many of my friends are also planning to come visit me to see me and see Moscow. True, none of them dares to come before the end of March. I myself miss the European weather. Bordeaux has a very pleasant climate, and the city is located near the ocean, so you can take a surfboard and go skiing at any time. And, of course, I miss some products: cheese, meat gastronomy, some wines. Everything else here is quite comfortable for me. Or maybe I'm just such a person, easily adapting to any conditions.

Moscow is a very dynamic city, which is cool, but often very tiring. Due to the frantic rhythm, people are very nervous, tired, sometimes the road to or from work can cause a storm of negative emotions. Therefore, I try not to take the subway, although traffic is also not very encouraging. But I'm used to it, and I even missed it a little in new year holidays when leaving for home. There really is no time to be bored here. One Gorky Park is worth something, you can spend the whole day unnoticed there. And the way Moscow is decorated before the New Year is just a fairy tale!

I also like how many people spend their leisure time here - I decided to try hunting, winter fishing and ordinary cross-country skiing, not mountain skiing.

I've always been curious about what people find interesting about riding flat surface. Until I check it myself, I probably won't understand.

Eo naya/Shutterstock Bordeaux, France

In general, I don’t understand how Russians have the strength to work so much, and then go somewhere after work, and not for an hour and a half, but to fully hang out during the week. I experimented on myself a couple of times and realized that it takes years of training.

There were a lot of funny moments while adapting. Don't remember everything. But I can definitely say that I will never forget my first and last trip to the bathhouse. Everyone thought that I could not stand the temperature, someone was even afraid that I would faint. But I survived and even agreed to massage with a broom. True, I still don’t understand, in Russia there is a tradition everywhere to go to the bathhouse completely naked?

French chef and restaurateur Joel Robuchon.

Joel Robuchon was born on April 7, 1945 in Poitiers in western France to a bricklayer's family. He received his professional education in culinary courses.

At the age of 15, he became an apprentice chef in the kitchen of the Relais Poitiers in Poitiers. Then he worked as a sous chef in different restaurants France.

In 1974 he became the chef of a restaurant in the Parisian Hotel Concorde Lafayette, where 90 chefs worked under him, in 1978 he became the chef at Les Celebrites at the Nikko Hotel in Paris.

In 1981, Robuchon opened his first restaurant, Jamin, in the French capital. In 1984, he became the youngest chef to receive the highest rating in the world of gastronomy - three Michelin stars (prestigious culinary awards given by this restaurant guide).

In 1989, he began working with the Japanese Sapporo group of companies and opened the Chateau Tailleve-Robuchon restaurant in Tokyo that same year.

In 1990, the famous French restaurant guide Gault Millau named Robuchon "Chef of the Century".

Joel Robuchon loved to travel and often visited Japan and Spain. In these countries, sushi bars and tapas bars where live communication takes place inspired him to experiment. Robuchon developed the original concept of the restaurant - L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in which the entire cooking process takes place in full view of the guests. He opened the first such restaurants in 2003 in Paris and Tokyo. Later they appeared in different cities of the world - in Macau (2001), Monaco (2004), Las Vegas (2005), New York (2006), London (2006), Hong Kong (2006), Taipei (2009), Singapore ( 2011), Monreale (2016).

In 1995, Robuchon retired from his job as a chef to focus on promoting his knowledge and skills. In 1996, he co-produced Cuisinez comme un grand chef (Cook Like a Chef) with producer Guy Job on TF1. In 2000-2009 it aired on France 3 under the title Bon appetit Bien Sur. Every week, one of the chefs was invited to the program, and together they demonstrated how to cook according to a particular recipe, gave advice and showed the techniques that they did haute cuisine more accessible. Since September 2011, Robuchon has hosted a new TV show, Planete Gourmande, in which he shares his recommendations and interesting recipes. In 2002, Robuchon opened the French satellite channel Gourmet TV.

Joel Robuchon has published several culinary books including Simply French (1991), Best of Robuchon (2009), La cuisine de Robuchon par Sophie (2011), Food and life, le gout de la vie (2014), he has also been weekly cooking columns for Le Figaro newspaper and Sunday magazine.

Joel Robuchon has received many awards, including the National Prize and the gold medal of the French Academy culinary arts(1972), rank" Best Worker France in the field of culinary "(1976), Order of the Legion of Honor (officer, 2003). Since 1998, he has been on the board of the Order of Merit in the field Agriculture", was also a member of the French Academy of Culinary Arts.

Robuchon-led restaurants received a total of 32 Michelin stars- more than other chefs in the world.