Diat, Louis Felix (1885–1957)

Diat, Louis Felix (1885–1957)

French-born US chef and author. He trained at the Paris and London Ritz Hotels before going to the New York Ritz-Carlton Hotel. There, he oversaw the ambitious French cuisine that the restaurant was renowned for and he popularized French cooking in books and magazines.

He was born in Montmarault, France. Known as ‘Monsieur Louis’, he created vichyssoise during his time at the Ritz-Carlton. His best known cookbook is Cooking à la Ritz (1941).

VICHYSSOISE


Published: March 13, 1983

To the Editor:

Perhaps a footnote might be added to Albert Kreindler's comment about vichyssoise: Credit is certainly due to Louis Diat for the origin of this summer soup. The chef, however, tells us how he did it in a piece quoted in my book ''A Food Lover's Companion.''

$''Another dish which has since become well-known throughout this country had its origin also in my mother's kitchen,'' Diat said. ''She used to make a hot soup of leeks and potatoes which was liked very much by her children. But in summer when the soup seemed too hot, we asked for milk with which to cool it. Many years later, it was this memory which gave me the inspiration to make the soup which I have named creme vichyssoise.'' This story of the humble beginnings of that famous dish appeared originally in ''Cooking a la Ritz,'' by Louis Diat (Lippincott, 1941). EVAN JONES, New York