Dinner with a top French chef is an impossible offer to refuse ; the chance to follow one into

his kitchen and to run away with his recipes is a food-lover's dream. Here, fourteen world-renowned

chefs divulge the secrets of their favorite recipes-from roasted, stuffed partridge

with chestnut polenta to sea-anemone fritters, and from crème brûlée with warm chocolate

cake to pistachio macaroons. Insider biographies of the men and women behind these great

dishes, mouth-watering portraits of the featured recipes, and candid photographs of the chefs

at work allow us to savor the diverse regional flavors and passionate creativity that make French

cooking the ultimate culinary benchmark.

Mousseline of red peppers with

herbs and deep-fried prawns,

classic French fries with sea salt,

peaches in caramelized pastry, and

tangerine soufflé...

Cooking in the hands of these French

masters is truly an art form, a creative

process that is as much about the

personality of the chef, his passions,

and regional influences, as his ingredients.

The great French chefs here

range from the exponent of traditional

French home cooking to the

avant-garde master, from the media

celebrity to the Michelin-starred

genius. Together they bring us the

very best of fine French cooking,

and indeed, a taste of France.