Guy Savoy, Executive chef, Restaurant Guy Savoy (Caesars Palace)

“The first food I ever fell in love with was the artichoke … but without knowing it! Indeed, my mother told me that the puree I preferred when I was a baby was the one of artichoke. It was the desire to eat something special that made me want to cook it, which is why I came up with my signature dish: artichoke soup with Parmesan and black truffle. One of my customers describes it as: 'The artichoke is a wink to his modest origins; the black truffle corresponds to his quest for excellence and the brioche symbolizes his dreams as a child,' and I think that says it all.”