
Alain Chapel (1937–1983) was a French chef associated with the nouvelle cuisine movement of the latter twentieth century, which sought to modernize classical French cooking through lighter preparations and greater attention to ingredient quality. He earned three Michelin stars, placing him among the most highly regarded chefs of his era. His 1980 book *La Cuisine C'est Beaucoup Plus que des Recettes* — the title translating roughly as "Cooking Is Much More Than Recipes" — reflects an approach to food that extended beyond technique to encompass broader questions of philosophy and craft in the kitchen.