Wir stellen Ihnen alle 24 Kandidaten des wichtigsten Kochwettbewerb der Welt, dem Bocuse d’or (23.-24. Januar 2007) vor. Hier der Kandidat aus der USA, Gavin Kaysen. (englisch)
El Bizoccho, San Diego
1996: started working with George Seraa, in Bloomington (Minnesota)
Domaine Chandon (chef Robert Curry) in Napa Valley
Auberge de Lavaux in Lausanne (Switzerland)
L’Escargot (chef Marco Pierre White), in London
Since 2002: sous-chef, then chef at El Bizocco, in San Diego
First steps in cooking
Passion, simply, guided Gavin Kaysen in his choices: at 15 years
old, he began in a small restaurant, then, having mastered the
fundamentals of cooking, he pursued his career at a Hotel and
Catering School (New England Culinary Institute in Montpellier,
Vermont).
Later, his experience in famous European kitchens provided an
opportunity for him to improve his technique. Today, he works in
San Diego, a region where the weather makes it possible to
have a longer year of great quality ripe fruits.
Training for the Bocuse d’Or
In his own admission, he reports that he has been obsessed with the Bocuse
d’Or for six years now! Two years ago, he travelled to Lyons with his camera, in
order to observe the event first hand, before deciding to take part in it.
Since the pre-selection in February, Gavin Kaysen has worked each day as if it
were the big day, in San Diego, but also in Paris, where he spent a few days in
October, with his team and his coach, Bernard Leprince, “to acclimatise himself”.
Outside the kitchen
It’s rare, but, when he has a free moment, Gavin Kaysen likes to walk on the
beach in San Diego. He also enjoys reading, thrillers especially. Also, the
American candidate is keen on travelling. In particular, he has a wonderful
memory of his trip to Switzerland where “wherever you looked was a picture
postcard.”
Between us…
The candidate speaks
English, French, and a
little Swedish
What does his mother
think of his cooking: “She
doesn’t understand how
I achieve my dishes, but
she adores my cooking.”
If he were a product,
it would be… “butter,
because it gives taste to
the dishes. I consumed
33 kilos of it in one week
of training.”
His assistant
21 years old, Brandon Rodgers believes that he has learnt more in six months of training for the Bocuse d’Or
than during all of his career. This challenge, “much more prestigious than he could have imagined”, brings
him “a better understanding of different cultures” and will certainly help him for his career.