Rebel Chef: In Search of What Matters by Dominique Crenn

 I just finished the Hulu series "The Bear," about a young chef from the fine dining world who comes home to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop after a death in the family. Starring Jeremy Allen White who was Lip in "Shameless," the series is fantastic and reminds me how much I love to watch chefs in action. If you are a fan of the series "Chef's Table," you probably already know Dominique Crenn. If you want to get to know her even better, "Rebel Chef" should be the next book on your list. Adopted by a French couple and their young son from an orphanage when she was 18 months old, they raised her in a loving family complete with rich summers in Brittany. After college, she became a self-taught chef with no proper culinary school training. Sensing that France was a country of kitchens dominated by men, she moved to the Bay Area at 21 to work with famed chef Jeremiah Tower at "Stars" in the 1990s. Towers boosted her up rather than tearing her down. San Francisco warmed quickly to Crenn, and propelled her into a career working at hotel restaurants. But she dreamed of opening up her own restaurant, and that came true with "Atelier Crenn," which was awarded three Michelin Stars in 2018. She is currently the only woman chef in the U.S. with three Michelin stars. The menu at "Atelier Crenn" is offered in the form of a poem with each dish corresponding to a line of poetry. Crenn communicates with people through food, and her reputation as a chef is on par with many rock stars. Her book is both informative about her life, relationships, children, and struggles but is also illuminating about what it takes to become a top chef in America. I loved every morsel. To buy this book on Amazon click here.