Who was Marie-Antoine Carême, subject of the new Apple TV +series?

Marie-Antoine Carême, considered by many as the father of French high cuisine, is perhaps the most famous for his candies-he has perfected the soufflé, invented the croquembouche and perhaps developed the modern wedding cake.

But was Lent as racy as it appears in the Apple TV + series that falls on Wednesday? In the show, the master chief – born in 1784, died in 1833 and was known as Antonin Lent – is a sharpening of knives, attracting several women and selling secrets during the turbulence of Napoleonic France.

“Lent is, singularly, the most important individual figure in the birth of modern gastronomy,” said Ian Kelly, whose chief’s biography is the basis of the series. (A new edition is published in the United States on May 27 under the name of “Lent: The First Celebrity Chef”))

Here is an introduction to Lent, which has written cooking books, served kings, defined pastry as a form of edible architecture and is widely considered as one of the first famous leaders in the world.

Lent in the kitchen

Lent is best known for its imposing pastries – known as extraordinary – which could be shaped in giant harps or fountains. Some, like the Croquembouche, have increased several feet high.