Yes, Chef

"I have never seen a picture of my mother, but I know how she cooked," begins chef Marcus Samuelsson in the opening pages of his memoir Yes, Chef.

 

Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia, but he and his older sister were adopted as children by Swedish parents. Influenced by his grandmother's kitchen, Samuelsson decides as a teenager to pursue a career in cooking. 

From Switzerland he works his way to Austria, and eventually lands a position in a Swedish restaurant in New York. Rollerblading through Chinatown and past Indian groceries, his taste buds are opened to international cuisines, spices, and textures. As one mentor reminds him, "Food is not just about flavor. It has countless dimensions, and one is visual. What do you want it to look like? What do you want the customer to see?"

And the reader easily visualizes, through Samuelsson's fascinating memories and Veronica Chambers' writing polish, not only his signature dishes but the markets, kitchens, and friends that have shaped him. Samuelsson reminds us it is not about the accolades of a Top Chef win or a White House dinner, but hard work, curiosity, and humility.