The French follow chefs with a level of obsession that, in other countries, is reserved for football and movie stars. As restaurants roar back into action after the summer holidays, the most talked-about men in the business both happen to be dead.
Michel Guérard, the beloved chef who held three Michelin stars for 47 years at his restaurant and spa resort in Eugénie-les-Bains, in southwestern France, died on August 19 at 91 years old. As the inventor of la cuisine minceur, a style of cooking that re-interprets classic French dishes using lighter ingredients, Guérard received obituaries that were glowing. Almost always, they mention his devotion to his late wife, Christine.
