The world's top chef died this week; suicide. Benoit Violier was suddenly thrust into the spot light of the world of 'Haute Cuisine" when his Swiss restaurant was awarded the top spot as the world's most prestigious place to eat.
At Le Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville meals ran from a modest $250:00 plate upwards to $400:00. Here the menu included unique features such as freshly killed game, specialty fish dishes, wild boar and other meats that were normally eaten raw by our forefathers.
Benoit himself used to head off on regular hunting trips to bring home his trophies and cook them for his adoring customers.
His place was solidly booked for three months ahead and his dazzling kitchen, the size of a basket ball court, cost a cool $1.3 million dollars. However, early this week he presided over his last supper, finished his glass of wine and went home to shoot himself.
The speculated reason? Pressure to stay at the top.
A month after receiving the award, the stress of running the planet's greatest restaurant and keeping the coveted three star Michelin Award proved too much.
Herein lies a sobering lesson. The stars and status that are granted by the world can just as easily be taken away by the world. This was evidenced by another winner of the Planet's first eatery, who shot himself a few years ago when they downgraded his restaurant in Paris.
If you think that all this is a light year away from the Lord's prayer and the words "give us this day our daily bread." IT IS, and be thankful that it is so.
Tonight Pauline and I will be sharing a meat pie (cost $5:00) and a few veggies and we will be blessed to finish off with a cup of tea. Our Thursday night menu at the L'Hotel Ville de Wilson.
Jubilate.
Ian
This morning I got around to talking with one of my "parishioners" about her favourite artist, Thomas Kincaid. She has several of his paintings and her whole house has a Kincaid look to it.
In a world where we have large doses of horror, war, death, hatred and human malignancy I find Kathy's romantic heart and home a welcome respite from the daily doom and gloom.
Kincaid, after his death in 2012, was criticized as a
"mail-painter", a "kitsch master" a "chocolate box artist" whose view of life was as "sentimental and soothing as a cup of hot chocolate in a world of dreams."
To which I must answer, "More power to you, Thomas."
Kincaid described himself as a devout christian who wanted to touch people of all faiths and bring a sense of of peace into their lives.
Who could possibly argue with that worthy goal?
His pictures featured stone cottages, streams, rural beauty, churches, lighthouses and welcoming warmth streaming from windows on snowy nights.
All of this was scorned as so much sentimentality by the world of high-brow art and intellectualism.
Personally I couldn't care less and nor would it appear do millions of others, for it is reckoned that one in four American homes have a Kincaid painting somewhere around.
All of Kincaid's four children have the middle name "Christian." and you can bet that each one of them own some of Kincaid's originals to remind them of the better world that Pop's has now departed to.
Jubilate, Thomas!
Ian
