Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson

	This memoir by chef Marcus Samuelsson, who was born to a poor, TB-stricken woman in Ethiopia and who grew up with adoptive white parents in Sweden, is not a typical food memoir. Samuelsson speaks of his love, even obsession with food, but he also opens his life to readers -- good, bad, failures, successes. In part because of his honesty, I found myself at times disliking him as a person. But ultimately, his honesty and willingness to change won me over. While people interested in food and celebri...more This memoir by chef Marcus Samuelsson, who was born to a poor, tuberculosis-stricken woman in Ethiopia and who grew up with adoptive white parents in Sweden, is anything but a typical food memoir. Samuelsson speaks of his love, even obsession with food, but he also opens his life to readers -- good, bad, failures, successes  -- and tells us how his love of food became an obsession. In part because of his honesty, I found myself at times disliking him as a person. But ultimately, his honesty and willingness to change won me over. While people interested in food and celebrity chefs are probably among those most likely to read this book, they should know that its appeal goes far beyond food -- whether Swedish, African or American. All of those food cultures play a part in this book and in Samuelsson's life. But what's more important are his relationships -- a black child being adopted and growing up in a white Sweden after his Ethiopian mother died on her journey to take her son, his sister and herself to a faraway clinic for treatment of TB. This book is about a man who for years put self and ambition over far more important responsibilities -- his daughter and other family. It is also a book about a man who gradually realizes that he must make amends, even as he rises to the top of the fine-dining world in New York. The book bogs down about midway but then picks up again. It is a good read -- and not just for so-called "foodies," who do get plenty of tasty details on some of the dishes Samuelsson creates.  Samuelsson also doesn't shy away from controversy. He writes of the culinary world's lack of black chefs, the discrimination he felt in various restaurants (not just in this country). The only culinary figure who's a household name and who I suspect is not happy about this book is Gordon Ramsay, whom Samuelsson depicts as, well, someone we would not like to know. Samuelsson's candor ultimately renewed my respect for him and also helped me understand the ingredients that made him such a successful chef. The next time I see him on the Food Network or other channel, I'll pay more attention to him. That's for sure.
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