down, digest, and distill meats into their
quintessence, to take their light and
nourishing juices, mix and confound them
together, in such a way that none
dominates and all can be tasted; finally, to
give them that unity which painters give
their colors, and render them homogeneous
enough that their different flavors result
only in a fine and piquant taste; in, if I may
say it, a harmony of all tastes joined
together....
— Dons de Comus, 1750The Classic French System:
Carême and Escoffier
In 1789 came the French Revolution. The
great houses of France were much reduced,
and their cooks no longer had unlimited help
and resources. Some lost their positions, and
survived by opening the first fine restaurants.
The culinary impact of these upheavals was