.Madeleine Kamman.

Madeleine Kamman was born in France on November 22, 1930. Her love for food began as a young child, between her mother, grandmother, and aunts. Her teenage years were where it’s been said that her “taste buds developed” and food and the culinary life became more a passion in her life. After studying different languages at Sorbonne, she enrolled into her first culinary classes at Le Cordon Bleu. She began as a small child in her family kitchen fascinated by the whisking, mixing, and the other wonderful sights, smells, and sounds of the culinary life. It wasn’t much after that Madeleine Kamman fell in love and soon became one of the greatest chefs known today. Like many other culinarians today, she began working in hotel kitchens. She took in as much information as possible then after 30 years of living in Europe she moved to America with her husband. At the young age of 32 she began her teaching career as an instructor in Philadelphia, PA. She was teaching adult professionals French cuisine and various Pastry techniques. It wasn’t until eight years later that she went ahead an opened her own school. Modern Gourmet was opened in 1972 and considered one of finest school in Massachusetts. In 1975, Kamman and the students that she taught at Modern Gourmet ran her first restaurant Chez La Mere Madeleine. Chez La Mere Madeleine not only received four stars from the Mobil Guide but also five stars from Anthony Spinazzola, a restaurant reviewer for the Boston Globe.

Along with opening a school, restaurant, and being a well-known French Chef, Kamman was well aware that she was heading in a great direction. Kamman has received many awards among them; a Doctorate Honoris Causa from Johnson & Wales University, a Round Table for Women 1984 Pace Setter Award, and even a knighthood in the French "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" given by the French Minister of Culture in 1991. She has written many books and even had a small TV series on PBS; “Madeleine Cooks” that ran for 8 strong years. Today Kamman is considered one of the greatest Culinarians, specializing in French Cuisine and Pastry. She is now the co-founder, sole instructor of The School for American Chefs at Beringer Vineyards in California's Napa Valley. She also creates the curriculum and directes the courses. At The School for American Chefs, she is teaching chefs that vary from having 2 to 15 years of experience. At the age of 67, and during an interview she had no signs of stopping and expressed that teaching is what she does best and loves it. Not only do these culinarians learn from her but she also continues to learn from them.