Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir | 
pickTo boil this memoir down to 'a tale of triumph over adversity' feels like a disservice to all that Onwuachi shared. To give it 'happily ever after' vibes would, I think, risk readers closing the book and not thinking further about big problems that are not solved just because one Black man made it out of obscurity, gang violence, drugs, financial uncertainty, unstable and/or dangerous home life 1/?
Today's favourite phrase. 😎🦗
“Friendship is mostly fermentation. You just need the right conditions - physical proximity, natural warmth, and a little time - and affection takes root. “
Picked up 2 more listens from the US Audible 2 for 1 Deal 💜Thanks for the suggestion @Megabooks {{Modern Love}}
pickCatching up: this may be the closest to "anti-racism" genre I've read in 2020. Great on audio, Chef Onwuachi is candid about the racism he's faced since elementary school through his professional career. Really loved the juxtaposition of his time living in Nigeria growing up to drive home how othering being Black in America could feel. Definitely have more reading to do on this topic! #integrateyourshelf @chasingom @Emilymdxn
pickThis was good. He's led a very interesting life, a real rollercoaster.
It suffers a bit from the same issue I have with most memoirs written by young people (I feel like you've got to be a little full of yourself to write a book about yourself, especially so early in life).
But overall it was a very good read, and it's important to understand some of the prejudice and racism he faced on the job. And I loved that he included some recipes!
so-soDidn‘t start picking up for me until about halfway through. Kind of a bummer of an ending, but I love this photo of the author. At least I think it‘s the author?
so-soThis book was BARELY saved from being a pan by the conclusion of the restaurant story started in the first chapter, dropped for the rest of the book, and returned to in the penultimate chapter. Otherwise I‘m not sure why anyone would read this weirdly braggy memoir. (Read for the #ReadHarder2020 prompt “a food book about a cuisine you‘ve never tried before”—which turned out to be mostly untrue)
pickA fascinating, raw glimpse into Onwuachi‘s life, his meteoric rise as a chef—with stops at Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, & an appearance on Top Chef—and the precipitous collapse of his dream when the fine dining restaurant he helped to open closed in just three months. From cooking with his mother in their small Bronx kitchen & his endless hustle to find success to encountering racism in even the finest kitchens, this memoir is a compelling read.
Pulling from my nonfiction stack for my next book. This was on a lot of “Best of” lists last year so I‘m expecting a good read.
pickI was new to Kwame‘s story, having never seen him on Iron Chef, but it was fascinating. I can see why some people think he comes across as arrogant, but I also admire his vision. His very different experiences in New York City, Baton Rouge, and Nigeria speak volumes about the current state of racial relations in our country. His diverse background made for a compelling read and a harrowing glimpse into the life of a young black man in America.
so-soThe author is a dc chef who‘s food I have eaten, so I was excited about his story. But I sort of did not like him at all. He makes huge mistakes and then says that he didn‘t learn his lesson and would do it again. He also spends a lot of time blaming other people for things going wrong.
pickIt‘s not quite a rags-to-riches story, but this chef memoir is about overcoming long odds and past mistakes through effort and determination. It reminded me of Gabrielle Hamilton‘s memoir, Blood, Bones and Butter. The #audiobook is engaging and narrated by the author.
A stock is like a toddler: it doesn‘t take tremendous skill to raise one, just constant attention and patience.
The first step is to score a circle with a tourné knife, the smallest in a knife roll, a third of the way down the eggshell. Then, score it again to cut the top cleanly off, leaving the shell looking like a trepanned head. Then you carefully empty out the yolk and white, separating them into bowls to be used later.
[On cleaning eggshells to use them as serving vessels for custard. Literary trepanation #3 in 2019.]
pick"I come from a long line of restauranteurs, from a family whose roots were made of gravy and whose blood ran hot with pimentón." I enjoyed Kwame's memoir (and he's still very young and has many successes and breathless leaps ahead of him.) I had no idea how varied his experiences were and how much he had done even before Top Chef. I hope to eat in one of his restaurants eventually, especially if he stays in DC.
"I come from a long line of restauranteurs, from a family whose roots were made of gravy and whose blood ran hot with pimentón."
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Through food, Kwame passionately, and honestly, unfurls his life story. His tumultuous upbringing resulted in several moves and you can taste the influences in his dishes. Maybe one day, I‘ll be fortunate enough to dine at one of his restaurants. I admire his confidence and drive to succeed in an industry that wanted him - a black chef - to fit a certain niche. Solid memoir. More than just food. Much more.
It has taken me 2 weeks to finish this podcast episode because I keep pausing it for days at a time to immediately read books they discuss lol This includes the tagged book, which I'm thoroughly enjoying!
One of the librarians at the library put this book in my hands and said I‘d love it.
pickI‘m a sucker for chef memoirs so I predictably enjoyed this quick listen. It stands out for tackling race and class issues in the restaurant industry, and more perspectives like this one are sorely needed.
pickLike a lot of chef memoirs, or at least the ones I‘ve read, this one flips between being self-aggrandizing and self-effacing, but with so much external political weight on the story of a young Black chef who definitely here gets a few of his own digs back at those who have harmed him over the years, including his terrible father. Good, alarming, fascinating, with super recipes and definitely a fresh look at the lives of chefs. 3.5⭐️
“To whom [should I] have been paying dues? It seems like the only ones keeping track are the white guys w/tall hats. & how did those guys get into the club? By paying dues to even older white guys with even taller hats. As for the thousands of black & brown chefs—dubbed cooks, domestics, servants, boys, & mammies who were kept out of restaurant kitchens or overlooked w/in them—they were beyond consideration. Their work, like them, was invisible.⬇️
pickI LOVE culinary memoirs (culinary anything, really), but this is something beyond the typical chef's story. The author asks hard questions about race, class, ageism, pride, and what constitutes a success story. If you're interested in the food world, this is a must read.
#mmdchallenge #bookaboutatopicthatfascinatesyou #litsyatoz @BookishMarginalia
I was a complete lazy lump today and got almost no reading done. I fear tomorrow won‘t be much better as I‘m exhausted and have a fundraiser to work.
#24B4Monday
My first deviation from my #24B4Monday stack.
pickI listened to this on my drive to D.C. this weekend, and then went to his restaurant on Sunday! His book is as great as his food. Those braised oxtails, mmmmmm... 🖤
#memoir #food #DC #audiobook #cooking
We loved Chef Kwame Onwuachi on Top Chef, and I‘ve heard good things about his book. The conversation he had with Dr. Michele L. Simms-Burton was wide-ranging and honest. He talked about being a young chef, a Black chef, and about his decision to go to The Culinary Institute Of America. Plus, how he paid for it by catering. He‘s an up and comer that I hope can stay strong in the food scene. Now I MUST read his book! #gburgbookfest
pickI love a good chef memoir. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one has an interesting side of social justice too — with Kwame's notes on how his race influenced his experiences in kitchens (and in childhood). I think the only other black chef's memoir I've read is Marcus Samuelsson's "Yes Chef". I tried Michael Twitty's “The Cooking Gene”, but struggled to get into it, and ultimately didn't finish it.
Can anyone recommend any others? #howjessreadsin2019
pickI really enjoyed this. My husband and I loved Kwame on Top Chef, but I didn‘t know much about his younger years (complicated and fascinating) or his post-show DC restaurant career (same modifiers apply). I was impressed by his insights about identity and ambition, and even more so by his frankness about racism and discrimination in his industry (and he most definitely named names). I fully recommend the audio.
pickI first learned about Kwame on his season of Top Chef, and when I heard he had a book coming, I knew I wanted to hear more about his history, background, and point of view. Kwame narrates his own story on audio, and does a fantastic job.
Finally, a book finished! I'm not sure why he has two heads on my Kindle. #readathon @DeweysReadathon
Not so much a snack, but this mutter paneer was fabulous. #RATbooksnack @Bookgoil #readathon
I did look into the timeline between where the book ends and the publishing date, and the author bio included in the back of the book, which reinforces my belief that Onwuachi ended his story as written where and when he did to shine a stronger light on the racism, structural and individual, industrial and personal, that he has experienced. 2/? 11mo
I am grateful to him and his co-writer for creating a book whose message will stick with me. 4/5 11mo