High-ranking chefs were revered and some of them, like Taillevent, were raised to the nobility. The most famous of all was undoubtedly Carême. Under the Ancient Ré, a distinction was made between the officier de cuisine, who was the actual cook and the officier de bouche, who was in fact the butler (Vatel held this office). From the 18th century onwards, chefs wore a large white hat to distinguish them from their assistants (hence their nickname od gros bonnet, "big hats"). It seems that the hat first made its appearance in the 1820's. At the time when massive joints were served in England, the cook who supervised their preparation on the spit wore a black cap to facilitiate carrying the roast to the table on a silver platter on his head. This form of headgear is retained at the Mansion House, official residence of the Lord Mayor of London, at Sampson's restaurant in the Strand and at a single coaching inn in Devon. In these three establishments alone the chef holds the title "Master Cook", not chef.

The patron saints of male and female cooks are Fortunat (bishop of Pointiers and a famous 7th century poet) and Radegonde (who founded a monastery of which Fortunat became the chaplain). Radegonde was an excellent cook, as testified by this letter from Fortunat, thanking her for a meal that she had prepared for him: "Next a superb piece of meat was brought, arranged in the shape of a mountain and flanked by high hills, the spaces between which were filled with a garden of various stews that included the most delcious products of earth and water... A black earthenware jar provided me with milk of the utmost whiteness: it was quite sure to please me".

Modern chefs "Taste, ideas, skill, sincerity": this slogan of the great chefs of today might also have been that of Taillevent or Carême. What has really changed over the centuries is the mythology of cookery. The "ninth art" formerly reserved for the privileged few, such as guests at large hotels, or guests in a few rich households possessing their own cook, is now popularized by the media and is gradually becoming accessible to everyone. Like any art, it has its idiosyncrasies, it masterpieces, its imitations and its piracies and its very success has transformed the conditions in which it is practised.

Most of the great chefs and wellknown cooks of today are restaurant owners who have set up their own and run their establishments with the help of their family. Often, they have learnt their trade from their parents: the third generation of the same family run Les Troisgros at Roanne. Raymond Thuillier, at Les Beaux-de-Provence, is the grandson of a Savoyard innkeeper; André Pic, at Valence, traced his family tree to the beginning of the 19th century, when one of his ancestors ran a small inn near Saint-Péray. Sometimes they began their apprenticeship or perfected their experience with a famous professional, although there are a few instinctive cooks who have made their way alone to the top of the professions.

a tour of gastronomic France would reveal the diversity and imagination of the great chefs of today. For it is no longer true to say that you can only eat well in Paris! Tourism, the motor car and business have led to the discovery of the provinces by amateur gastronomes, talented cooks who have been able to adapt ancient recipes by using local produce.

Today's great chefs often acquire stardom through the media but they must also become business executives, concerned about public relations, promotion and administration. Eloquent and schlarly, Raymond Oliver was the first to make use of television by introducing cookery programmes, in which, with a combination of knowledge and charm, he demonstrated his masterly skills.

Above all, cooks are writers: they publish their recipes. Not only do they tell you how to cook a dish, but they also tell you how to cook it succesfully. One of the novalties of our time is that almost as much time is spent in digesting books about cooking as is spent in digesting food!