32 Yolks by Eric Ripert

32 Yolks

Subtitle: From My Mother’s Table to Working the Line

Author: Eric Ripert

Genre: Memoir, Chef Memoir

Publish Date: March 2017

Read: July 2025

Favorite Quote: Sometimes, as I spent hours painting red dots around a plate, I couldn’t tell if Robuchon was a genius or a madman. The answer, of course, was both.

Synopsis: Eric Ripert’s life hasn’t been easy and the path to a three-star Michelin chef was fraught with challenges. Starting as a young boy, Ripert chronicles his time with his parents, learning from his mother, and falling in love with great food as well as the process of making it.

Why does this book beguile? I do love a chef’s memoir. Perhaps in another life, I was meant to be a chef or working in a kitchen. Eric Ripert’s 32 Yolks, is a heartbreaking and gutwrenching recounting of his abusive stepfather, questionable schooling, and brutal psychological trauma under the master Joel Robuchon. It’s a beautiful story and any reader will appreciate the conscientious effort Ripert makes to become a better chef and better mentor than he ever had.

Bookshop.Org Link*: 32 Yolks: From My Mother's Table to Working the Line by Eric Ripert

Amazon.com Link*: 32 Yolks: From My Mother's Table to Working the Line by Eric Ripert

If you’re interested in this, read*: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain - Bookshop.Org/Amazon.com or Eat a Peach by David Chang - Bookshop.org/Amazon.com