The French Touch – and a Bible in the Kitchen

After working for several years in the family business, I felt it was time for something new. I landed a job as a sous-chef at a French hotel chain in the city of Zwolle. It was a different world—structured, organized, and governed by strict culinary standards set by the French headquarters. With the French touch – and a (company)bible in the kitchen, creativity wasn’t exactly encouraged, but that didn’t stop us from sneaking it in where we could. It taught me how to innovate within limitations, which, in hindsight, has been one of the most valuable lessons of my career.

From preparing buffets to crafting fresh pasta and occasionally experimenting with desserts, I learned how to balance precision with flair. That subtle dance between discipline and creativity is something that still influences my cooking style today.

On my last working day there, the owner surprised me with a truly unforgettable gift: a copy of Le Guide Culinaire by Auguste Escoffier. Inside, a handwritten note from my former manager still reminds me of those formative years. I treasure that book. It’s more than a gift—it’s become one of the culinary bibles that shaped me.

Before Escoffier, there was Eugen Pauli’s Lehrbuch der Küche—my very first guide into the fundamentals of classic cooking. But Escoffier brought something deeper. His recipes didn’t just teach me how to cook—they revealed why certain techniques worked, and how to elevate simple ingredients into elegant dishes. His book became a symbol of structured creativity, mirroring the job I had just left.

One of his most iconic inventions—known to many and loved by most—is the timeless dessert Pêche Melba. Created for the opera singer Nellie Melba, it combines poached peaches, raspberry coulis, and vanilla ice cream. Simple, yet elegant. Classic, yet open to modern twists.

Today, I’d love to share Escoffier’s original recipe with you. It’s perfect after a light dinner, or as a nostalgic throwback to the elegance of classic French cuisine.

🍑 Pêche Melba – The Original Recipe

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 ripe peaches
100 g sugar
500 ml water
1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla extract)
250 g fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon icing sugar
4 scoops of high-quality vanilla ice cream
Optional: a few slivered almonds for garnish

Instructions:

Poach the peaches:
Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds, adding both seeds and pod to the syrup. Add the peaches and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes until just tender. Remove the peaches and let them cool. Peel off the skin and halve them, removing the stones.
Make the raspberry coulis:
Blend the raspberries with lemon juice and icing sugar. Pass through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Chill the sauce.
Assemble the dessert:
In a chilled bowl or dessert glass, place one or two peach halves, a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, and drizzle with the raspberry coulis. Garnish with slivered almonds if desired.
Serve immediately, and enjoy a piece of culinary history.

Next week, I’ll take you further into my culinary journey—from classic French kitchens to more Mediterranean flavors, and how I slowly found my own voice as a chef.

Until then—keep it classic, and keep it delicious.

Warm wishes,
Michel

“This story follows up on last week’s blog…”