In this series, columnist Sibylle Eschapasse interviews some of France’s top chefs, the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France.
Name: Marc Bauer
Hometown: Eschentzwiller ... yes, it is a town in France!
Age: 51
Occupation: Master Chef, International Culinary Center
Years of Experience With French Cuisine: 30
Maître Cuisinier de France Since: 2004
Sibylle Eschapasse: What does it mean to you to be a Maître Cuisinier de France, a most admired title?
Marc Bauer: We try to adhere to the knowledge we learned in France, and try to spread the respect of the traditions.
Ms. Eschapasse: Why did you choose to become a chef?
Mr. Bauer: I love to eat, and I love flavors that make my heart all fuzzy.
Ms. Eschapasse: If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
Mr.Bauer: Probably a pastry chef, but if my mom had not passed on the love of food, I probably would have become an engineer.
Ms. Eschapasse: Who would you consider to be your greatest culinary influence?
Mr. Bauer: Alain Sailhac, André Soltner, and Jacques Pépin.
Ms. Eschapasse: How would you define French cuisine?
Mr. Bauer: Food that is so good and practical, it has a history and has made it through generations.
Ms. Eschapasse: Of France’s many regional cuisines, which do you prefer to cook and why?
Mr. Bauer: Provençal cuisine, because it is delicious and mostly healthy; Alsatian cuisine because it reminds me of my youth.
Ms. Eschapasse: Tell us more about the recipe you chose.
Mr. Bauer: It is a wonderful, earthy dish that one can enjoy in a high-end restaurant or at a family gathering.
You can watch Marc Bauer demonstrate the full recipe on “Celebrity Taste Makers” on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. on Pix11.
Slow Cooked Lamb Shank With Fall Cornucopia of Vegetables
