Escoffier's Kitchen Revolution 

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I'd say Escoffier realized his dream of becoming an artist through cooking.

My Grandmother's first husband was a chef (I never met him as they divorced when my Mother was seven yrs. old). He worked for one of the major hotel chains & was responsible for going to a newly acquired hotel & revamping the kitchens/dining room/staff. He taught Grandma how to cook & she in turn taught my Mother & me. One of the first desserts she taught me was Peach Melba. I can still remember how proud I was when she helped me to make & served it at a family dinner. I was seven or eight at the time. Max, thank you for bringing back a memory. Miss you Grandma.

You can tell how seriously Escoffier took his craft by how he lays out his recipes. The guy definitely wasn’t going to let anyone mess up one of his signature dishes.

"Due to his size he wasn't gonna be much of a blacksmith" Tell that to Tolkien.

Fun fact.. well a fact, here in Denmark peach-melba flavored yoghurt is the most sold flavor, but most people don't know the story behind the name, so it's not uncommon to meet adults that think Melba is some sort of exotic fruit.

"The sous chef is the most overworked person in the kitchen", YES That made me laugh loud. Sous chefs need to be able to perform any and all tasks in the kitchen, including replacing the executive chef at a moment's notice. They need to prep, cook, organise, lead, talk to suppliers, basically run the entire restaurant. It's the best position to be in before opening your own place.

As a peach melba myself, I appreciate this.

when you were reading off all of the kitchen assignments, i was surprised i actually knew about a lot of it. i kept thinking.... where have i heard this before? and then i remembered. ratatouille sure taught me a lot about fine french cuisine and i didn't even know it.

We learned about this guy in culinary school, his influence is still felt throughout every restaurant in the world

Just finished 2 books on the Ritz and the Savoy - lots of dirt on Escoffier & Ritz, so it was great to see the recipe for peach Melba. Tidbit: ripe peaches were hard and expensive to attain in various seasons in the year so Escoffier would hang these and other cherished fruits on gold leafed "trees" and then bring them out to the table with golden scissors so the guests could "harvest them at the table. They were dismissed after D'Oyly Carte found that suddenly his restaurant started to lose money. He did a secret audit and found that Ritz, Escoffier and the manager had not only taken kickbacks - passing on the added expense to the Savoy, but they had absconded with ingredients, rare wines and liquors to the tune of $1.2 million in today's money. This was on top of being paid between the 3 of them and their staff unheard of salaries that amounted to $1.3 million in today's money.

“And George wanted to be an artist…” “…he was sent to his uncle’s restaurant at Nice.”

He probably recommended the metal bowl to cool in the freezer to keep the ice cream from melting.

This RU-vid channel is one of the best things to come out of the pandemic.

My favorite story about Nellie Melba is when she was served jelly on a ship that wasn't quite set, and she said, "There are two things I like stiff, and one of them is jelly!" I couldn't agree with her more!

Regarding the Ho Chi Minh connection: He was working in a restaurant when he approached the American diplomats during the Versailles Treaty negotiations looking to free Vietnam from French control. Said American diplomats basically ignored him. Let's just say that didn't work out very well for the Americans.

Delphine: “Hey, Dad! How’d it go at the billiards hall? I hope you didn’t loose too much.” Mr. Daffis: “...”

The beginning of the history bit made me laugh, because my son is a tall, brawny young blacksmith and artist. He is also a grillardin, but just at home. But to be honest, I have met plenty of short, powerful blacksmiths, too. Height is not a prerequisite.

One of my favorite parts of the Escoffier book is the instructions for fire management, it really makes you appreciate modern stovetops and ovens

“This was before WWI so the compliment held some weight.” I’m always surprised when Max drops shade, but it’s always really good.

Oh my goid. I passed the Ho Chi Minh street on a bus so many times (when I was a kid in USSR), never would have guessed that he could outbake my grandma.

That peach melba you’re eating is not from 1903. It looks fresh like you just made it. I’m onto you Max Miller. 😁

I always forget this is a cooking channel about half way through the video because your story telling skills are freaking top notch. No matter the subject I'm always entranced by the way you tell it. Thank you.

As someone who is a qualified chef, i remember my teacher saying every time we make a sauce, cut a veggie, serve food we represent a bit of escoffier

7:59 - Regarding the 5 mother sauces. According to a bunch of research and videos that Alex French Guy Cooking made on youtube, the Hollandaise sauce wasn't one of Escoffier's mother sauces. The lovely task of being an oil/water emulsion bound mother sauce was made up of sauce Mayonnaise. Hollandaise sauce being considered a mother sauce came from a translation error of _Le Guide Culinaire_ by Escoffier into English.

Max: "I dont actually have a silver..." Me: *clutches pearls* "You...monster!"

Awesome and eerie timing: I’m a home brewer and currently working on a Peach Melba mead. Peaches, raspberry and vanilla. A great combination. Perhaps I should call it Escoffier’s Tipple. Or Péché Mignon au Cygne: a wordplay in the original name of the dessert. Pêcher is the word for sin and Pêcher can both mean ‘to fish’ or ‘peach tree’ in French. Both are pronounced exactly the same. A ‘péché mignon’ literally translates to ‘cute sin’ and the closest English translation I can think of is an indulgence. That delicious thing you know isn’t exactly good for you but that you can’t resist…

the spirit of escoffier is still present in the way of working, in restaurants in France in 2022. Even the large dishes, in metal (or silver), which are used for service, bear his name. Escoffiers.

When you were speaking about Richard D'Oyly Carte. I remembered a saying my high school drama teacher used to say "One can preform Shakespeare one survives Gillbert and Sullivan.".

As an Aussie, Thanks for the background on the Peach Melba and the tribute to her swan entrance. I always wondered what the connection was.

Peach Melba, also known for being the dish that was Mary Mallon's specialty as a cook! Mallon was later known by the name "Typhoid Mary" and one of the ways she ended up spreading typhoid to people was via cooking.

What a coincidence that you uploaded this yesterday, because I've just finished reading a book about Dora Lee, one of the few women to train under Escoffier! She made her way up the servant hierarchy from being a scullery maid to the head chef for the Canadian Governor-General and his family. There was lots in the book too about Escoffier and how he revolutionized so many aspects of cuisine. Anyway, the peach Melba looks delicious! Always love your videos!

Actually, the peaches from Montreuil were reknown through Europe. They are even mentioned in a Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. The peach trees used to grow in the city near walls oriented south, creating a micro climate. Today these walls are gone, destroyed by two world wars, and urbanism. Thank you mom(1929-2016) & grandma (1891-1988) for the memories of a time I didn't experienced.

That painting at 4:25 is 100% the origin of the "My girlfriend saw you from across the bar and we really dig your vibe" meme, you can't convince me otherwise

Peach Melba! This dish was mentioned in an episode of “Supersizers Go”, that show is so much fun :D So happy to see something familiar, and from one of my favorite periods in history, too.

Reading Escoffier's original recipe made me think that you should do more recipes out of older French cookbooks. Especially some of the infamous ones that just kind of... expect you to know how to already cook the recipes without providing the weights, measurements, cook times, or methods.

(Shows pic of Van Ba) Me: hmm, Vietnamese? "He later went by Ho Chi Minh" Me, Vietnamese-American: 👁 👄 👁

My girls and I have been watching your channel a LOT for months now and loving every bit of it. But kicking a thank you tip your way today because my 5-year-old has just thrown down her tablet and instead excitedly chosen to "watch Max cook" with our kitty and me - RIP Minecraft, long live Tasting History. Thank you for being so amazing, wholesome, informative, and simply delightful. I hope 2023 brings you, Jose, and your kitties many bright blessings. 💜

My favorite dessert! My dad was working on a joint US/UK Navy project when I was in my teens, and we spent a summer living in southern England; I had never had Peach Melba before then-- but man, I fell in love with it. So good! The only difference between what they served and this was that the old hotel we lived at made these very light, crisp little cakes that they'd include beneath everything; they weren't anything like the sickly-sweet horrors that are sold in the US for Strawberry Shortcake but were instead more like very light and fluffy pound cake with a crisp crust. Delicious!

I learned to cook from the Fanny Farmer Boston Cooking School cookbook and my southern mother and grandmother. They kept me from a lot of the “jello” culture cooking in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Techniques were important, then you can apply them to lots of different foods.

Peach Melba is still not an uncommon menu item in Paris (unsurprisingly, I suppose). I've always considered it my favorite dessert as it combines my two favorite fruits and they meld in such a delicious fashion. One of the times I had it in Paris, they used banana-walnut ice cream instead of vanilla and you'd think that would be horrible but it was amazing! Loved it. Leave it to the French. Another great video, Max! Thanks!

I can imagine that it tastes divine. My brain is telling me "if you had home-made icecream, home-grown peaches, and home-picked raspberries, this is a dessert for heavenly food-gasms"!

I pulled a trick similar to the frog leg one on my kid when they were 4. They wouldn't try brussel sprouts at all. So I convinced them they were fairy cabbages (at the time there was an obsession with Disney fairies). Worked like a charm and for the next 5 years they were referred to as fairy cabbages.

I'm just starting the video and I noticed the Pokemon in the background and I'm already going "ohhhhh boy, does that mean eating frogs is gonna be brought up?" Time to watch more and find out

On list of mother sauces I almost see Alex the French Guy scribblings, striking out hollandaise and correcting it to mayonnaise.

His recycling of his dishes for multiple celebs kinda reminds me of "Candle In The Wind' with Elton John recycling his Marilyn Monroe song into a Princess Diana song.

It's weird hearing about the components of a successful restaurant run hundreds of years ago, and then being an ex-Weatherspoon's employee who's kitchen had absolutely no structure or standards

Chilean not-too-fancy restaurants used to have "Peach Melba" as an usual dessert: half a canned peach with a scoop of any kind of ice cream on top. 😁

Umm pretty sure the Swedish Chef IS the king of chefs…

Peach melba is so underrated. This should be offered in more ice cream shoppes.

“Crunch to the nuts” - Max Miller, 2021

I just learnt about the history of Ritz Carlton hotels from a single dessert.

I'm 36, almost broke, and a struggling PhD student, but I still refuse to give up on my dreams.

I recreated Escoffiers recipe today and it was delicious. In fact the best ice cream dessert, I ever had. The fresh peaches are really outstanding in taste and texture. So glad I found this channel.

The Froakie in the back spent like 15+ minutes feeling awkward about the topic being mentioned I see. I mean, we know what this Pokemon's region is inspired from, but still.

Your "Yes that Ritz" joke made me snort fizzy pop out my nose. Good to see Young Frankenstein getting another apprentice here.

I was thinking of making a pun with escoffier and coffee, but nah, you'll just scoff at it. I'll see myself out.

I went to Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, CO and met Michel Escoffier, the great grandson of Chef Auguste Escoffier. He is the president of the Escoffier Museum and Foundation in Villanueve - Loubet, France which is affiliated with the school in Boulder and the one in Texas. Just inherited all of his great grand daddy’s work lol. He’s a neat guy

Omg. I am actually making his Brown Stock or Estouffade right now. It’s simmering. Involved a skill saw, hammer, and a couple thumb injuries. Now just 14 hours and it should be ready. 🤣

Ice cream and peaches are a perfect combination. My favorite that I've made was grilled peaches, vanilla ice cream, and a caramel sauce. I blanched, peel, and halved the peaches, brushed them with just a little bit of sherry, and put them on the well-oiled top rack of the grill juuuust until they had some light grill marks. Set those on top of some ice cream, and then pour a generous amount of caramel sauce (which I made earlier on the side burner of the grill, also with a little of the sherry in it) and it was just so good and perfect for a late summer evening.

Food network really needs to give max his own cooking show ❤️

I love all the small clips he adds. I clicked like purely for the Young Frankenstein clip at the beginning.

🤣 “Cat days” The recipe is really simple. I would like to someday make this with grill or bake the peach to caramelise the sugar mmm😋 You mean fur net 🐱

Absolutely love your videos. Great voice and since of humor. You have combined three of my favorite things cooking, food and learning. So entertaining.

Yeah, I just had a bunch of raspberries from my moms small backyard garden. Delicious!

"He wanted to be an artist but that wasn't in the cards" A story as old as time.

It was also instrumental in the spread of typhoid, as it was the signature dessert of a cook who became known as "Typhoid Mary." The fact that it wasn't cooked was what allowed her to pass the disease to so many people as an asymptomatic carrier. It was thought that cooks weren't likely to spread the disease because cooking the food would kill the germ.

All those other dishes were why Melba needed to have her toast cut in half.

Peach and raspberries are my favorite temperate fruits so I absolutely looooooove peach melba! My peach tree is almost ripe and I can’t wait to gorge myself on fresh off the tree fruit and make oodles of jam and pie filling.

The time of Instagram and comparing notes: very good point

Thrilled to see that you've made a video on Escoffier! I hope to attend the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in the near future so I've been reading up on him quite a bit lately. There is no denying his influence on culinary history!

I'm glad to discover that I'm not the only grown-ass adult who giggles at the word "nuts".

When I went to culinary school (big mistake for future me), Escoffier was practically law in terms of food preparation. There is a reason why he was considered the Godfather of Culinary Arts by most/all chefs I know.

Can't decide what makes me happier, the recipes or the history or Max and his humor. I delight in all of the show. Thank you.

It's easy to go right with fresh fruit and ice cream, and I actually like melty ice cream - so long as it's in a bowl rather than a cone.

the last bit honestly blew my mind! like i knew ho chi minh worked many odd jobs on his journey but what are the odds that you picked right this person to go in details about! amazing video!!

Glad I'm not the only one who laughed a bit when he said nut crunch. 🤣

It may not be the dog days of summer any more, but it’s definitely peach season. My parents got a ton of them from a friend’s neighbor, so I may just need to share this with them.

Cat chefs in hairnets. Thank you for the wonderful imagery.

Great vid, my mom used to make that but with a layer of crumbled shortbread between the ice cream and fruit. We had that for dinner this weekend as it is peach and raspberry season here.

Apt story about the mushrooms... I got my kids to eat mushrooms thanks to clear soup, and calling them "slices" instead of "mushrooms." Then they started competing for them. #dadwin

I am a cook and my hobby is blacksmithing. I DO see many similarities, as knowing your temperatures, your coals, not fearing heat, weights and hard work...

Speaking of Vietnam...Back then, THE most sought-after ration trade items were canned peaches and vanilla pound cake. Pour the peaches atop the cake. If you were exceptionally lucky, you'd saved a tin of blackberry jam to add as well. Wah-la!

The habit of naming dishes after high-profile customers didn't die out when Escoffier left. In the 1920s, the novelist Arnold Bennett dined there frequently and had his favourite omelette, which featured smoked haddock, named after him. This appeals to me because I admire Bennett. For what it's worth, I also like smoked fish.

I've read a replica edition of the Fannie Farmer cookbook, and I remember that in the back there were ads for her cooking school's classes, including one course directed specifically at household kitchen staff. The book in general was pretty interesting, and I'll be looking forward to next Tuesday's episode where you'll be cooking from it.

Thanks for this - I've never seen the original recipe. I was taught to poach the peaches in a vanilla syrup until they were tender and then peel them. The rose coloured syrup was then spooned over the peaches when served. Hmmmm I think I need to try both versions to see which I prefer - such hardship!

HAHA Escoffier, good cook, actually like his method of making hollandaise. Oddly Ive this week been exploring Icelandic foods and looking up how to preserve meat in lactic acid. That desert looks SO far removed from lambs tongue in whey.

As a trained chef from the CIA, we also used La Guide alot. I checked my shelves and confirmed that I still have it, 40 years later. The brigade is absolutely used today and rarely noticed by the staff as it works smoothly. Great video! Now to wait for the Carmen video!

Now I fell like a (almost) nobleman. Back in my childhood, during the summer, we always did eat ice cream, with peaches and a raspberry sauce. But it was preserved peaches and a store bought sauce.

I know deep inside my heart... There's a person named Peach Melba somewhere in this freaking planet.

Made in honour of the great Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. She adopted Melba to honour her home town of Melbourne. She was known for retiring and then making multiple comebacks.

SERVE IT FORTTTHHHHH!

Small understandable mistake: Hollandaise was not a mother sauce as described by him, that's a change made by an English translator. Which sadly means it became the de facto version used worldwide

How wonderful that my birthday falls on a Tuesday this year - looking forward to watching another excellent Tasting History video 👌

For a historically famous chef his signature creation is pretty simplistic lol, fruit on ice cream, and nuts if you want

Careme! We need a Careme dish to show what Escoffier was changing. ETA: What about a discussion of Cuisine Grand-mere?

Through the late 1980's and up to the 2010's I used to go camping with friends, and successive iterations of family. Mostly we went to a place called Murrundindi (local Aboriginal for 'The Snake'). Just before you get to Yarra Glen, you go past Nellie Melba's old house, now a museum.

And now I live in the Boston area so that’s next week! Definitely should do a clam chowder episode, and cover the different variations. Including that Manhattan one.

President Kaunda of Zambia was a gardener. President Moody of India was a tea maker and server. But that desert looks absolutely not only delicious but also a show stopper. Escoffier was a fine example of discipline in the kitchen. His ability to achieve this was probably a result of the discipline he went through and learned in the army. It certainly sounds as though he would not have been able to organise the army of kitchen staff in such a manner if he had been denied the opportunity to experience the regimentation of the armed forces. He seemed to be in the right place at the right time. I wonder if those french soldiers influenced his ultimate tastes and gave him the drive to be able to plate some of the dishes which those French soldiers dreamed of on the front line and probably described to him. I can imagine how the dreamy faces and even tears of these soldiers imprinted onto his heart and mind and became la passion. I have a little experience in the world of catering and the life of the chef is caotic and difficult. Tempers fly and even fists if this gets out of hand. Even dishes and equipment get damaged when the heat of the kitchen and pressure takes its toll. I can still remember being embarrassed because the foul language of the head chef was so loud the customers could hear it. You need a General or Commanding Officer to be able to keep control of a large kitchen. Of course it helps tremendously when this individual is a visionary who is able to put his art into the dish which he composes in such a way that not only will others appreciate it but they are willing to pay handsomely for the experience of not only trying it but will also make a concerted effort to copy it and develop it to accommodate changes to their own tastes. Viva la Escoffier. An artist whose work was appreciated and sought after not only before but also after his death.

Max, I just adore your channel, and your storytelling skills! (Plus you're just adorable). But I have to say that i love this video in particular. Thank you so much Love from Lebanon