Jean Imbert mourns the disappearance of the woman of his life: his grandmother. Sad news he himself announced on his Instagram account on January 1, 2021. The winner of Top Chef spoke at length about the death of his grandmother, who was 93 years old. Alexandra Rosenfeld's ex-boyfriend paid her a heartbreaking tribute: " Grandma, what sadness today, but also what joy to have lived near you. Since yesterday I cry like a child and those who know me know that I am not easily consolable. I watch the photos, the videos on repeat, I remember every memory, every Christmas at your place, every Sunday. I know I became a cook because of you, no one in the family did this job, but for you cooking was not a job but your DNA. And you gave me this passion, the desire to make it my life rather than a job (…)".
The famous chef then talks about the gift of his "Granny": the magic of his cooking."Nothing was right in your kitchen, everything was broken, the plates chipped, the tea towels half clean, half dirty, no knife that cuts, no scales, the plates that work every other time, nothing was right except your magic. And you had so much magic of it, in the kitchen and in your eyes. We always say that we realize things when it is too late, when we can no longer say them, when we can no longer do them. With you this is not the case, tu made me live all the dreams a little child can dream of with his grandmother. And the person that I am is filled with millions of memories by your side; so that you will never leave me. I love you ".
A restaurant in tribute to his grandmother
Jean Imbert was so close to his grandmother that he had opened a restaurant in Paris on March 15, 2019, called Mamie. A dedication to his grandmother, whose menu is also inspired by his recipes. The name was therefore not chosen at random. In this gourmet canteen, the chef offers old dishes, inspired by Sunday meals at his ancestor's home. A beautiful tribute.
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