Book Review: Cuisine du Moi by Gavin Canardéaux
A Light-Hearted Spoof of Celebrity Chef Cookbooks by Ben Canaider
With current kitchen favourites divided between the gourmet and celebrity cookbooks at one extreme and health and budget conscious recipes at the other, Gavin Canardéaux’s offering to the foodies of the world is sheer indulgence. Indulging his own seemingly limitless ego, that is.
Cuisine du Moi (Allen & Unwin, 2008) by Gavin Canardéaux (as told to Ben Canadier) takes a hilarious, although entirely serious from Gavin’s point of view, look at the world of celebrity chefs. Without naming names, Canardéaux mercilessly mocks, criticises and denigrates the efforts of his contemporaries in an outrageously pompous and ego-fuelled account of his owns success, achievements and general superiority.
Gavin Canardéaux, Memoir of a Power-Chef
Dividing his precious time and abilities between his restaurants around the world and his various television commitments, Canadéaux takes the time to promote himself and his abilities in Cuisine du Moi, the book bearing the name of his New York restaurant.
Including a selection of unpalatable yet hopelessly trendy recipes that no-one would ever dream of reproducing, the focus of this first person account by Canardéaux is a celebration his exceptional ability in the kitchen as well as in his personal and public life. Canardéaux seeks to impart just a little of his amazing flair and culinary giftedness to his readers, attempting to brighten their lives by enabling them to be just a little more like him.
As “patron of the Canardéaux Foundation for Children Without Seafood and committed Awareness Band Wearer”, Canardéaux interests extend beyond his expertise in the kitchen to his ability to promote himself through public improvement and charity campaigns.
With inedible recipes such as “de-re-unconstructed T-bone foam” and his signature dish “Canardéaux de Canardéaux”, Cuisine du Moi is not a book for a serious foodie, but rather a book for anyone who thinks that foodies take themselves too seriously. Egotistical, politically incorrect and inclined to profanity, Canardéaux takes himself beyond the ranks of celebrity chef into the realm of the power-chef.
Celebrity Chefs under the Microscope
A blatant parody of Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein and other well-known chefs, Gavin Canardéaux has an ego and drive for self-promotion that leaves these familiar culinary and television personalities fading into the background. An ego out of control, Canardéaux rampages through the culinary world, spouting advice and focusing more on marketing and image than ability.
Ben Canadier
Ben Canadier is a well-known Australian wine writer with titles including Drink Drank Drunk (Random House, 2002) and Cooking Under the Influence: Food to Drink To (Murdoch Books, 2004).with Greg Duncan Powell and The Perfect Glass of Wine (Random House, 2006).
With a belief that celebrity chefs and food itself are taken too seriously, Canadier believes it is time for people to return to a simple enjoyment of food and drink. He questions the current fascination with celebrity chefs and his opinion on the matter is explored with hilarious enthusiasm in Cuisine du Moi.
One Man’s Insight into the World of the Celebrity Chefs
Gavin Canardéaux himself perhaps best expresses why Cuisine du Moi should be the next “must read” culinary guide.
“Read this book and you will understand why chefs are the most important people in the world today. Without them nothing else would function or exist.” – Gavin Canardéaux
Cuisine du Moi (ISBN: 978-1-74175-607-4, 183 pages)
Cuisine du Moi - Gavin Canardeaux (& Ben Canadier)
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