Jules Gouffé (Paris 1807 - Neuilly-sur-Seine 1877) was a renowned French chef and pâtissier. He was nicknamed l'apôtre de la cuisine décorative.

He had a deep impact on the evolution of french gastronomy by gathering an immense knowledge that he wrote down in his livre de cuisine and his livre de pâtisserie. Revered by great names such as Pierre Hermé and Bernard Loiseau, his legacy is still vibrant among cooks of today.

[edit] Biography

His learning began under his father's supervision who held a pâtisserie in Paris, rue Neuve Saint-Merri. Gouffé became Antonin Carême's pupil at the age of 16, with whom he would remain for seven years. A story tells that Carême, who was passing by, would have stopped to admire the pièces montées that were exposed. He would have congratulated the craftsman and asked him to take his son under his protection.

In 1840 he opened a shop rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré which would soon gain fame. He sold the shop in 1855 and then stayed inactive.

In 1867 he accepted the proposition of Alexandre Dumas and the Baron Brisse to become chef de bouche of the Jockey-Club de Paris. While occupying this position he began to write the books that would ensure him renown and posterity. Most of his works have been translated in English by his brother, Alphonse Gouffé, Head Pastry Cook to the Queen Victoria.

[edit] Works

• Le livre de cuisine (The Royal Cookery Book)
• Le livre de pâtisserie (The Royal Book of Pastry and Confectionery)
• Le livre des conserves (The Book of Preserves)
• Le livre des soupes et des potages

[edit] External links

• Le livre de cuisine [1]
• Le livre de pâtisserie [2]