L'Art culinaire facts for kids

L'Art culinaire was a famous magazine for professional chefs. It started in Paris, France, in 1882. The magazine was published every two weeks and focused on all things related to cooking and food.

A man named Maurice Dancourt founded the magazine. He later used the pen name Châtillon-Plessis. The very first issue came out in January 1883. It was a special extra part of another magazine called La Petite Revue illustrée: littéraire, artistique et gastronomique.

Many important chefs wrote for L'Art culinaire. These included famous names like Philéas Gilbert and Auguste Escoffier. In the 1890s, Châtillon-Plessis edited the magazine. It became known as the "leading professional culinary journal in the world." Chefs from all over Europe and North America wrote for it. The magazine claimed to have 10,000 readers!

During World War I, the magazine was not published regularly. After the war, it became less popular. Many of its famous writers, like Escoffier, Gilbert, and Prosper Montagné, left to write for a new magazine called La Revue culinaire. L'Art culinaire's last issue was in 1953.

Famous Contributors

Many skilled chefs shared their knowledge in L'Art culinaire. They helped make the magazine very important for professional cooking.

Auguste Escoffier's Recipes

One of the most famous chefs, Auguste Escoffier, started writing for the magazine in 1894. He shared new recipes and ideas for menus in every issue. His section was called "L'école des menus." It taught chefs how to create modern menus for homes, hotels, and restaurants.

Goals of the Magazine

L'Art culinaire was more than just a magazine. It was connected to groups that wanted to improve cooking.

Supporting Chef Organizations

The magazine first belonged to a group called the Union Universelle pour le Progrès de l'Art Culinaire. This group started in 1882. In 1883, the magazine became the official publication for the Société des Cuisiniers français pour le Progrès de l'Art Culinaire. This group was like the Paris branch of the Union.

Three Main Goals

Both the Union and the Société had three main goals to help cooking:

• Publishing a magazine to share new cooking ideas.
• Starting a professional cooking school in Paris.
• Holding cooking competitions to encourage chefs.

Cooking School and Competitions

A cooking school was finally opened in 1891 on rue Bonaparte in Paris. However, it closed down in 1894.

The cooking competitions were more successful. The first one happened in December 1882, even before the magazine officially started. The second competition was in November 1883. After that, they were held every January. These competitions inspired similar events in other big cities. Cooking contests started in Vienna (1884), London (1885), Brussels (1887), and New York (before 1892).