Stirring Tribute after French Chef's Cookbook Found

A top French chef whose recipe book went missing while he gave a masterclass in Russia has been reunited with the precious journal after a woman found it in a local park, the news agency Interfax reported Friday.

The cookbook belonging to two-star Michelin chef Thierry Drapeau, in which he had written 20 years of recipes, disappeared as he gave a class in Yekaterinburg, the largest city in Russia's Urals region.

The local woman who found the book received a 10,000 euro ($13,000) reward from the restaurateur in Yekaterinburg who hosted Drapeau, Interfax said.

"Thanks so much for your help. I have fallen in love with Yekaterinburg, a town where the people are good and ready to help others who are in a tight spot," Drapeau was quoted as saying by the agency.

It was not clear how the book ended up in the park.