- Prosper Montagné
Prosper Montagné (
14 November 1865 ,Carcassonne ,France –22 April 1948 ) was achef and author of many books and articles onfood ,cooking , andgastronomy , notably theLarousse Gastronomique .Upon leaving the Lycée de
Carcassonne , he wished to become an architect, but this proved impossible. His father acquired l'Hotel des Quatre-Saisons inToulouse , with his son as a chef - the beginning of an illustrious career.He apprenticed at the "Grand Hôtel" of
Paris and the "Hotel d'Angleterre" ofCauterets , then worked at various restaurants in Paris andSan Remo , and the "Hôtel de Paris" ofMonte Carlo . In 1900, he returned to Paris and was chef of the "Pavillon d'Armenonville", the "Pavillon Ledoyen", and finally the "Grand Hotel" where he stayed for 10 years. Later, he had his own restaurant, the "Montagné", and was a consultant to "La Reine Pédauque".He wrote many books on cooking, including "Le grand livre de cuisine"—considered his masterpiece, "La grande cuisine illustrée", and "
Larousse Gastronomique " withProsper Salles ; "Bonne chère, pas chère", "La cuisine diétique", "Les délices de la table", "Le livres des cuisines militaires", "Mon menu", and "Le festin occitan". He also contributed to many newspapers and magazines, and was editor in chief of the "Revue culinaire".The
Encyclopædia Britannica writes of him [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-22648] ::AfterCarême , the two men who probably had the greatest impact on French gastronomy and that of the world at large were Prosper Montagné andGeorges-Auguste Escoffier . Montagné was one of the great French chefs of all time, and he achieved a secure place in gastronomic history by creating "Larousse Gastronomique" (1938), the basic encyclopaedia of French gastronomy. As a young man..., he came to the conclusion that allpièces montées , as well as superfluous garnitures and decorations, should be discarded.He lends his name to the [http://www.club-prosper-montagne.fr Club Prosper Montagné] , a trade association of French food professionals.
Montagné was a Knight of the
Légion d'Honneur .External links
* [http://www.clubprospermontagne.be/cpm/fr/biografie.htm Sketch biography]
* [http://www.club-prosper-montagne.fr/default.aspx?pId=83& Sketch biography]
* [http://www.club-prosper-montagne.ch Swiss representation of Club Prosper Montagné]
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