Carême

These series loosely based on historical events around the French Revolution is beautifully filmed, sensual and so open minded, so French that it ignites your desire to live in the world. What would be the world without French pastries , food and without the French Revolution?! I loved the clothes, the style, the places and all characters. Also there is pioneering filming about a French cuisine in the 18th century, all the craziness and characters that surround one new and emerging artistic star: THE CHEF. Great entertainment through which you can also learn about Marie-Antoine Careme, one the pioneering chefs of modern history. Thanks to the producers!!

The aftermath of the early period in the French revolution, as Napoléon Bonaparte proves to be no different than the previous royal dictators who continued with corruption to suppress the people with poverty. In the thick of it was the legendary chef, Antonin Carême (the superb Benjamin Voisin), who was forced to participate in the dirty political games in order to survive and save his step-father. The amazing food that Carême creates to appease the powers-that-be looks amazing, as does the production values in this fascinating thriller during a historical time of political upheaval and social unrest, where believe it or not some of France's culinary delights were born...

After the Napoleonic Wars, the victorious powers of Europe were eager to dismantle France. Every monarch wanted a piece of it. But Talleyrand, a master of diplomacy, managed to preserve the nation's territorial integrity and ensured that France remained a power to be reckoned with. He used every diplomatic tactic at his disposal-none more effective than soft power. Lavish banquets and exquisite hospitality became tools of persuasion, orchestrated by his legendary personal chef, Marie-Antoine Carême. It is said-though likely apocryphal-that before meeting the angry kings of Europe, Carême declared: "Don't give me soldiers; give me 100 cooks, and I will rule the world."

I didn't expect to like this original series from Apple+. I thought it was going to be like one of those cheesy erotic cooking videos on Tik-Tok, and Apple+ has a terrible track record when it comes to its original programming.

But, Mon Dieu, I was, how you say? Surprised.

The series is well written, and a feast for the eyes; with great period detail. They put money into this project.

Lead actor, Benjamin Voisin has bags of personality and appeal and is quite a good actor.

On another level, the French intrigue makes this a spy story, as well as, an historical one.

And the culinary aspect is very appealing.

I am a sucker for a dramatic show about cooking that isn't reality TV, so I was hooked from the trailer. Still, many shows can disappoint and distract from the food, which, in honesty, this did on numerous occasions. However... it is still a great series. There is a lot of romance, deception, politics, drama, etc., but at the centre of it all is still food. Carême is the father of French cuisine, and his contributions to the culinary arts have made their way into every professional kitchen worldwide, regardless of the cuisine. I absolutely loved seeing his life displayed on screen, regardless of the accuracy. I know a lot of the drama is amped up and likely not entirely factual, but I do know the history of the culinary advancements and achievements shown in the series are verifiably true. That is enough for me to want to see encore encore encore!!!