Read this if you… love to see people succeed and triumph over situations that may have otherwise derailed their dreams.
Why does this beguile? I love a chef memoir. I learned about Marcus Samuelsson after Top Chef Masters and found his food style very interesting. As he very clearly discusses in the book, there aren’t many elite Black chefs in the world and I was impressed with his blending of Ethiopian food into other cuisines, like French, Swedish, and American. His journey is fascinating and I appreciate how he did not shy away from things he did and choices he made. He owns his whole life and seems to be a successful, level-headed guy in an industry that demands everything from high-level chefs.
What it's about: Samuelsson traces his path from a village in Ethiopia to adoption in Sweden to running one of the most talked-about kitchens in Harlem. The memoir moves through loss, identity, and the discipline of professional cooking, discussing why so few Black chefs have made it to the top of the industry.
