1. Introduction
As far as the cookery tools and equipment had evolved through years and centuries, the French cuisine also deals with great revolution over time. The chefs were always in search of new products and new aromas, and kept looking for new techniques (Cengage, 2003).

1. Definition Nouvelle cuisine is a French term which means “new cuisine”, which actually refer to an approach to cookery and food presentation used in French cuisine. Unlike classical cuisine, an older form of French haute cuisine which recognized with elaborate style of cooking and service, nouvelle cuisine in contrast, is characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes with an increased emphasis on presentation (Wikipedia, 2010). According to Larousse Gastronomique (2009), Nouvelle cuisine is a movement in cookery started in 1972 by two food critics, H. Gault and C. Millau, with the aim of encouraging a simpler and more natural presentation of food. The movement combined a publicity campaign with novel recipes and a new ethic, although the idea itself was not new.

2. History The term nouvelle cuisine has been used many times in the history of French Cuisine. For instance, the work of Vincent La Chapelle, Franҫois Marin and Menon in 1940s was described as nouvelle cuisine. Even in 1880s and 1890s, the cooking of Georges Auguste Escoffier was described with the term.

However, the modern usage of the term are attributted to two French journalist and food critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau to describe the cooking styles invented by a goup of French Chefs, notably Paul Bocuse, Micheal Guérard, Jean and Pierre Troigros, Alain Chapel, Louis Outhier and a number of others who were the students of Fernand Point (1897-1955), a French restaurateur in Vienne, France.

Nouvelle cuisine was developed during the 1960s and become popular in 1970s which emphasized on freshness, lightnest, ands clarity of flavour (Britannica , 2011). The food served also stressed on greater simplicity and the dishes are created elegantly. Mennel (1996) stated that the principles underpinning this new cooking movement (nouvelle cuisine) were total freshness of ingredients, lightness and harmony in all components and accompaniments, the use of the basic and simplest cooking methods and types of presentations; and the movements was made visible and championed by Gault and Millau in their magazine and other gastronomic guides.

According to Larousse Gastronomique (2009), advocates of nouvelle cuisine reject the over-rich, complicated, and indigestible dishes that are no longer suitable to a health conscious generation who aware of the hazards of overeating, especially of fatty foods, which known to contribute to obesity and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, they adopt authenticity and simplicity in cooking to counter those and the increasing usage of processed food. The nouveaux cuisiniers also seek to uphold a concept that combines the professions of medicine and dietetics. Their guiding principles in nouvell cuisine means that the food served were less fat, no flour liaisons (thickening agent), no indigestable mixtures, and no 'disguised’ dishes. Instead, they advised light sauces based on meat juices, stocks, essences and spices. Beside that, vegetable are also prepared quickly so that their natural flavors are retained; and rapid cooking without fat, which allows the food to retain some of its texture. This involve dry cooking in the oven, broiling, steaming, stewing, cooking in a bain-marie, or cooking en papillote. Dietitians agree that quickly cooked food retains maximum nutritional value (Larousse Gastronomique: The New American Edition of the World’s Greatest Encyclopedia, 2009).

2. Characteristics of Nouvelle Cuisine In their magazine Guide Gault et Millau, these two journalists published the ten characteristics of nouvelle cuisine. They suggested rejection of excessive complication in cooking; cooking times for most fish, seafood, game birds, veal, green vegetables and pâtés were greatly reduced in an attempt to preserve the natural flavors. Therefore, steaming was an important trend for this characteristic. They also emphasized that the cuisine was made with the freshest possible ingredients. They went shopping to the market every morning and looked for the best products, and never used any preservatives, deep-frozen food, or any product that was not absolutely fresh (Cengage, 2003).

Apart from that, large menus were abandoned in favor of shorter menus as the large menu will have great quantity of products available and have the potential of not being ordered by customers. Thus, to avoid from the products from losing its freshness and could not be used, shorter list of menu were offered. Beside that, strong marinades for meat and game were also avoided by the new chefs (Wikipedia, 2010). The reason why was the chefs said that spices were only used to bring out the product’s taste and qualities, not as a substitute for them (Cengage, 2003).

Furthermore, the nouvelle cuisine chefs also stopped using heavy sauces such as espagnole and béchamel thickened with flour based roux. Dishes were seasoned with fresh herbs, high quality butter, lemon juice, and vinegar instead (Wikipedia, 2010). These chefs emphasized the quality of the products and their freshness and proclaimed that it was not necessary to overload them with heavy sauces based on flour and butter or to overcook them, especially fish (Gayot, 2011).

Besides that, regional dishes were used for inspiration instead of classical cuisine dishes (Wikipedia, 2010). Cengage (2003) stated that the chefs became more and more attracted to exotic products that were unusually new to them. Thus, foreign cookery influences started to seep through into French cuisine, particularly those North Africa countries such as Morocco, Italy, China and Japan. In 1960, Shizuo Tsujui opened the first Frech cuisine cooking school in Japan, which increased the cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Moreover, the chefs also embraced the new techniques and modern equipment. They began using all the new tools available: cutter blenders, food processors, non-stick materials, and etc. The relationship between food and fire also had become a central problem, so they started experimenting with new methods such as cooking under vacuum, using microwave ovens and steam ovens (Cengage, 2003).

In addition, dietary needs of the guests were also being paid close attention by the new chefs through their dishes. They stressed the importance of nutrition and its consequences for people’s health. They wanted to change the image of an obese gastronome into slim, smart persona that was so much in trend in 1960s’ magazines. While for the female customers who always anxious to maintain their figures, the chefs felt urged to create new recipes that could be delightful without being rich. Indeed, it is significant to note that the first book written in 1976 by Michel Guérard was La Cuisine Minceur, where he combined dietetics, aesthetics, health, ethics, and gastronomy (Guérard, 1976; Couisins et al., 2009).

Furthermore, the chefs were also extremely inventive and created new combinations and pairings. It is true that less food was served in nouvelle cuisine but the lack quantities of food were replaced by better quality and a better esthetic presentation. As Gayot (2011) mentioned that food had to be presented in an artistic manner playing with colors and forms, and the plate had to be arranged as a work of art similar to a sculpture or a painting.

3. The Influence of Nouvelle Cuisine 1. Technical Innovation Cousins et al. (2009) mentioned that the influence of nouvelle cuisine had spread not only all over France but to the entire world. Through the publicity of Gault and Millau, it spread in Britain via the work of chefs like Anton Mosimann, Raymond Blanc and the Roux Brothers and then throughout the world. Alongside all of this has also been a wide range of technical innovation suah as cookchill; cookfreeze; sous vide; and induction hobs.

2. Cuisine Developments The development of cuisine can also be seen recently which include the various fusion cuisines, such as in Asia-Pacific. Nouvelle cuisine also influenced a movement known today as Molecular Gastronomy.(Cousins et al., 2009).

3. Healthy Foods Nouvelle cuisine, without doubt had influenced the production and consumption of healthy foods today. The principal characteristic of nouvelle cuisine which stressed on lightness, freshness and clarity of flavor have long been associated with healthy foods (Britannica Online, 2011). As we can see today, there are a lot of restaurants and food chains which offering healthy choices in their menu for health-conscious consumers.

4. Celebrity Chefs According to Gale Encyclopedia of Food & Culture (2003), the nouvelle cuisine was a genuine revolution accomplished by the chefs themselves, or more precisely, the best of them. However, the newspapers, magazines, televisions and other media played an important part in the overall outcome. Chefs started to appear on TV show and became stars, known today as “Celebrity Chef”, which was seldom happened before that.

4. Conclusion In practice, nouvelle cuisine at its peak was characterized by small portions, extensively arranged on large plates with elegantly presented sauces and minimal accompaniments. It dedicatedly phased out elaborate dishes, rigid formulae, and pompous and academic set pieces, which suited the climate of the times in the same way that ‘bourgeois’ cookery suited the 19th century. It introduced the idea of less complex and lighter foods, served in a stylized manner. Its legacy is a broad awareness of the importance of food presentation rather than relying on unsuitable fussy garnishes as disguise for messy platefuls of overcooked ingredients (Larousse Gastronomique, 2009).

The influence of nouvelle cuisine has spread from France to the entire world. Streedirectory.com in their article on “What is Nouvelle Cuisine?” mentioned that the way American and Europeans cooked at home today, owes a great deal to nouvelle cuisine. Olive oil, vinaigrette, and fresh herbs are common today in many kitchens, mainly due to the influence of nouvelle cuisine movement. Although there is a standing argument as to whether nouvelle cuisine has been abandoned, the essential part of it that is its preference for lighter presentation, fresh flavors and new techniques has been assimilated into mainstream restaurant cooking (Wikipedia, 2010).

REFERENCES

Andre gayot, 2011. The True Story of Nouvelle Cuisine. Retrieved on 16 March 2011 from http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/features/nouvellecuisine.html

Cousins, J., O’Gorman, K., Stierand, M., 2009. Molecular Gastronomy: cuisine innovation or modern day alchemy? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Ed. Solomon, H. Katz, “Nouvelle Cuisine”, Encyclopedia of Food & Culture, Vol. 2. Gale Cengage, 2003. eNotes.com. 2006. Retrieved on 17 March 2011 from http://www.enotes.com/food-encyclopedia/nouvelle-cuisine

Joél Robuchon et al., 2009. Larousse Gastronomique. Hamlyn. Pg 713

Nouvelle Cuisine, (2011). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/420922/nouvelle-cuisine

Nouvelle Cuisine, November 2010. Retrieved on 16 March 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouvelle_cuisine

Nouvelle Cuisine – A Definition from larousse Gastronomique, 2009. Retrieved on 17 March 2011 from http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/features/ nouvelle_ cuisine_ larousse_ def.html

What is Nouvelle Cuisine?, 2010. Retrieved on 17 March 2011 from http://www. Streetdirectory.cm/food_editorials/cuisines/european_cuisine/what_is_nouvelle_cuisine. html