If you've never tried Alain Ducasse's chocolates, you haven't attained nirvana. Once you've tasted them, you'll be able to recognize them out of a thousand. Like their creator, they have real character under a suave exterior. It comes through in the textures and shapes, boldness and creativity.

To celebrate Christmas in fitting style, Alain Ducasse and his master chocolatier and roaster Alain Berger are offering a truly unique and quirky Christmas tree (see photo above). This is a 100% chocolate tree that you assemble yourself, making the concept all the more fun. There are 6 chocolate discs adorned with organic cereals and dried fruits, a nod to the traditional "mendiant," that you assemble on a chocolate trunk. You can get this whimsical tree directly from the Manufacture de chocolat Alain Ducasse, 11 rue de la Roquette, Paris, or online.

Like every year, the Christmas collection is renewed. Delicately sculpted, the Nutcracker, the Mouse King, and the Sugar Plum Fairy open the Christmas ball. They invite you on a journey to the land of sweet delights: lift the lid of the Candy Box and discover a true gourmet treasure with almond and hazelnut pralines, both in dark and milk chocolate to make your taste buds dance. White gloves included. For the Christmas Box, the chef has specially created 30 recipes for pralines and ganaches with tasty and surprising ingredients: jasmine tea, saffron, almond paste, orange, sunflower…

For this fifth book, the Fondation Louis Le Duff and the Société des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France wished to impart a particular flavor to this exceptional work: a flavor that these two partners have always shared: Transmission. This new recipe book conveys a true passion for the world of gastronomy and features 57 recipes from 12 professions. These encompass a wide array of culinary disciplines, ranging from pastry and baking to fish, meat, charcuterie, cheese-making, confectionery, chocolate, and wine, along with expertise in table setting and service etiquette. As transmission is a core value for both the Le DUFF Group and the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF), for the first time, 13 Meilleurs Apprentis de France (Best Apprentices in France) joined the MOFs to prepare some exceptional recipes.

In addition, these 13 gourmet creations can also be viewed in video format by simply scanning the QR codes. This is an unprecedented opportunity to see the MOFs and MAFs at work.

If haute cuisine is beyond your culinary skill level, remember that this is a book that is first enjoyed with the eyes! It's full of anecdotes about the profession and shared values that just might inspire you to consider changing careers!