Marie Antoine Carême was a famous French chef who lived at the time of the revolution. Born into a large and very poor family, he devoted himself to study gastronomy. At 16 he entered as an apprentice in one of the most famous pastry shops in Paris and his great imagination allowed him to create extraordinary sweets. He became the favorite and disputed cook of tsars and kings and was considered the founder of the great French cuisine; he was responsible for the invention of vol-au-vent and many famous sauces.