Collages et Recettes

Alain Passard (1956– ), a native of Brittany and an artist at his core, discovered early on that cuisine was largely performance. Training and developing his skills and credentials under such icons as Alain Senderens in his kitchen at L’Archestrate, Passard absorbed the importance of colors, shapes, aromas, and textures as vital supporting elements of flavor.  The best materials for pursuing those qualities, he discovered, were to be found in the plant kingdom. Although not entirely vegetarian, he uses the characteristics of flora to develop his own gastronomic vocabulary and visual palate to bring his dishes to full flower. In 1986, Passard bought L’Archastrate from Senderens and changed its name to L’Arpège (“arpeggio”—to honor his own passion for music). The emphasis was a rich, vegetable-dominated menu. To supply his restaurant with what he needed and to retain full control of his ingredients, he established biodynamic kitchen gardens in various French regions, giving him an enviab