GASTRONOMY IN THE HÔTEL DE TALLEYRAND
Next to this antechamber, which was used as a dining room in the 18th century, is a small pantry to facilitate service. The arabesque paintings decorating the shutters and ceiling date from the 19th century alterations done for the Rothschild family.
The kitchen during the time of Talleyrand was used by the celebrity chef Antonin Carême, who was known as “The King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings.” He created Napoleon’s wedding cake, and he wrote several cookbooks and even an encyclopedia of the art of French cuisine. Talleyrand would hire Carême to create sumptuous meals to impress his most important guests at his Paris residence and his Château at Valençay. Carême even accompanied Talleyrand to the Congress of Vienna. One could truly use the words “culinary diplomacy” to describe this alliance between gastronomy and negotiation.
Carême also created elegant and sophisticated meals for Betty and Baron James-Mayer de Rothschild.
Coincidentally, just after World War II, while Paul Child, an American diplomat, worked on the Marshall Plan in the building, Julia Child, his wife, cultivated her passion for French cooking. She went on to become the celebrated American chef who introduced the art of French cooking to millions of American readers and TV viewers.
This room concludes the visit. We hope you enjoyed it.