Joel Robuchon gives his very best, offering his peers and ambitious gourmets the opportunity to profit from his teaching and successfully recreate-with,the first time ever, all the "inside" information-the classic dishes that have elevated him to a place of international culinary respect and fame. The Atelier-we watch from the wings, able to observe the genesis of creation in Robuchon's own kitchens. Words and images reveal the mysteries of his gastronomic workshop. A privileged view of the gestures and glances of this contemplative world is offered, as we observe one of today's most inspired culinary teachers pass on his techniques and secrets. We are invited to participate in the excitement of a master at work with five of his most inspired pupils: Dominque Bouchet, Cristophe Cussac, Philippe Groult, Benoit Guichard, and Maurice Guillouet. The Products-we are offered an understanding of eight keystone ingredients from the palette sensibilities of the master himself. Joel Robuchon explains why potatoes, caviar, scallops, cepe mushrooms, sweetbreads, truffles, chestnuts, and almonds are his favorite products. He talks about his research and introduces us to his suppliers, whose attention to quality is second only to Robuchon's own quest for raw perfection. The Recipes-we participate in the unique synthesis of flavors, colors, and textures conceived by the master and his five proteges. Their compositions tease exploration of the eight chosen products and lead us every time toward harmonious composition. AUTHORS: PATRICIA WELLS is a former food critic for the Parisian newspaper L'Expressand now writes the restaurant column for the International Herald Tribune. Wells has written numerous cookbooks, which have been translated into several languages, including her translation of Joel Robuchon's Simply French, which won the 1991 James Beard Foundation Award for the Best International Cookbook. JOEL ROBUCHON, the winner of the prized "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" award, with a three-star rating in the Michelin Guide, is one of the world's greatest chefs. He has already published several books of delicious recipes, including two that have been translated into English: Simply French in 1991 and Joel Robuchon's Cooking Through the Seasons in 1995. Robuchon has also done a number of other books in his native French tongue, and in 1996 hosted a daily television program called "Cook Like a Great Chef" on France's number one television channel,
