Madeleine Kamman believed that preparing a meal properly, and teaching chefs how to do so, required an all-encompassing knowledge. Chefs, she would say, need to understand the science of how ingredients mix; the history, geology, and topography that produce a region’s cuisine; the creativity a kitchen affords; and the harsh practicalities of managing a restaurant.
“Is there an art more complete than the one we are teaching?” she asked in a 1985 Globe interview. “More than any other art, cooking is a complete art, one that will involve the stamina of your body and the tenderness of your heart, balanced by the intellectual capacity of your brain.”