If you like full flavor, try: Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson
Born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, now an American citizen living in Harlem, Samuelsson's memoir of his long journey "chasing flavors" is an interesting read. From his childhood helping his grandmother Helga in the kitchen to winning the James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef: New York City" in 2003 when he was executive chef at Aquavit (you can also find his Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine cookbook in the library catalog), you will admire his focus in the kitchen despite intense anxiety and stay for the story of his rediscovering his African roots even as he puts down new roots in the U.S.
If you like unconventional dining, try: Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
Endorsed by heavy-hitters such as Anthony Bourdain, Mario Batali, this memoir by New York restauranteur Gabrille Hamilton is a fierce and lyrical history of her journey to becoming a chef. It's about food, family, the difficulties on the road to finding your life's work, and making to-do lists that include "Why is meringue weeping? Braise rabbit. Tweak gremolata ratio. Have baby."
But you don't have to be a chef to write a foodie memoir! Here are some of the latest gastronomic reads from the library catalog for the gastronomically inclined:
Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan
Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris by Lauren Shockey
Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War by Annia Ciezadlo
Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life by Kim Severson
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey
For older posts about cooking, search the blog for posts labeled "cookery" and/or "food".
No comments:
Post a Comment