Yes, Chef

A Memoir

By: Marcus Samuelsson

Narrated by: Marcus Samuelsson

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY VOGUE • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“One of the great culinary stories of our time.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times

It begins with a simple ritual: Every Saturday afternoon, a boy who loves to cook walks to his grandmother’s house and helps her prepare a roast chicken for dinner. The grandmother is Swedish, a retired domestic. The boy is Ethiopian and adopted, and he will grow up to become the world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson. This book is his love letter to food and family in all its manifestations.

Marcus Samuelsson was only three years old when he, his mother, and his sister—all battling tuberculosis—walked seventy-five miles to a hospital in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Adaba. Tragically, his mother succumbed to the disease shortly after she arrived, but Marcus and his sister recovered, and one year later they were welcomed into a loving middle-class white family in Göteborg, Sweden. It was there that Marcus’s new grandmother, Helga, sparked in him a lifelong passion for food and cooking with her pan-fried herring, her freshly baked bread, and her signature roast chicken. From a very early age, there was little question what Marcus was going to be when he grew up.

Yes, Chef chronicles Marcus Samuelsson’s remarkable journey from Helga’s humble kitchen to some of the most demanding and cutthroat restaurants in Switzerland and France, from his grueling stints on cruise ships to his arrival in New York City, where his outsize talent and ambition finally come together at Aquavit, earning him a coveted New York Times three-star rating at the age of twenty-four. But Samuelsson’s career of “chasing flavors,” as he calls it, had only just begun—in the intervening years, there have been White House state dinners, career crises, reality show triumphs and, most important, the opening of the beloved Red Rooster in Harlem. At Red Rooster, Samuelsson has fufilled his dream of creating a truly diverse, multiracial dining room—a place where presidents and prime ministers rub elbows with jazz musicians, aspiring artists, bus drivers, and nurses. It is a place where an orphan from Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, living in America, can feel at home.

With disarming honesty and intimacy, Samuelsson also opens up about his failures—the price of ambition, in human terms—and recounts his emotional journey, as a grown man, to meet the father he never knew. Yes, Chef is a tale of personal discovery, unshakable determination, and the passionate, playful pursuit of flavors—one man’s struggle to find a place for himself in the kitchen, and in the world.

Praise for Yes, Chef

“Such an interesting life, told with touching modesty and remarkable candor.”—Ruth Reichl

“Marcus Samuelsson has an incomparable story, a quiet bravery, and a lyrical and discreetly glittering style—in the kitchen and on the page. I liked this book so very, very much.”—Gabrielle Hamilton

“Plenty of celebrity chefs have a compelling story to tell, but none of them can top [this] one.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Red Rooster’s arrival in Harlem brought with it a chef who has reinvigorated and reimagined what it means to be American. In his famed dishes, and now in this memoir, Marcus Samuelsson tells a story that reaches past racial and national divides to the foundations of family, hope, and downright good food.”—President Bill Clinton

©2012 Marcus Samuelsson (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"The Red Rooster's arrival in Harlem brought with it a chef who has reinvigorated and reimagined what it means to be American. In his famed dishes, and now in this memoir, Marcus Samuelsson tells a story that reaches past racial and national divides to the foundations of family, hope, and downright good food." (President Bill Clinton)

"I've read a lot of chefs' books, but never anything like this one. Marcus Samuelsson has had such an interesting life, and he talks about it with touching modesty and remarkable candor. I couldn't put this book down." (Ruth Reichl, best-selling author of Tender at the Bone)

"Marcus Samuelsson has an incomparable story, a quiet bravery, and a lyrical and discreetly glittering style - in the kitchen and on the page. I liked this book so very, very much." (Gabrielle Hamilton, best-selling author of Blood, Bones, & Butter)

A Love Letter to Family and Food

This is a beautiful memoir by a remarkable man. Yes, Chef addresses the areas that most other "celebrity chef" autobiographies hit - the discovery of flavors, the rigors of the professional kitchen, etc. What distinguishes this book is its heart - it's like a love letter to his family, to his craft, and to his community. And definitely an example of a book where the reading by the author makes the audio experience far richer than reading the text.

Different But Good

I must say I've never read a book like it. I did enjoy it. I've always liked Marques on Food Channel.

Listening to this audiobook was food for the soul

I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful story. Listening to it was a calming and inspiring escape from the day. I can’t wait to go to Red Rooster the next time I’m in New York.

A Truly Great Hear (read)...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

"Yes, Chef" is a wonderful heartfelt book by a man with such spirit and drive. It gave me insight into the restaurant/cooking industry as well as a few hints about roasted chicken. It is a fascinating look at the life of an international man.

What did you like best about this story?

Samuelsson reveals his faults as well as his achievements honestly and without excuses.

Have you listened to any of Marcus Samuelsson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I initially bought the book because I love cooking, and because I have an adopted Ethiopian grandson which has resulted in a personal interest in all things Ethiopian.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My reaction to this book is that I am looking forward to going to NYC so I might go to the Red Rooster for a meal or two.

Any additional comments?

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR ME.

Awesome insight to the life of a Chef

This was an awesome insight into the life of a Chef
And being read by the Author added more life to the story.

Amazing

I loved this! Chef Marcus is one of my most favorite chefs. Hearing his story in his words, with his own emotional content is more than I could've asked for.

Powerful and humble

Master story full of authenticity and rich context. These words will stay with me long after finishing the book.

Very interesting

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the rise of a great chef; including all his struggles and triumphs. It gave me a very different perspective of a kitchen.

such a great book.

I come from a very poor neighborhood. so I could really relate to the stories. I taught my children to always remember your roots and give back to your community. lucky for me my children have kept my values. all are successful and they. share their live teaching and giving to other. I truly enjoyed your journey.

Excellent Listen!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Though the story is about a chef, the story line and information presented covered numerous other topics - culture, cooking, theories, and life lessons.

What did you like best about this story?

The 'underdog' perspective presented. So much can come from difficulty - and Samuelsson absolutely shows that.

What does Marcus Samuelsson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

First, I'll agree with other comments I've seen - it took some getting used to listening to Samuelsson due to his accent and cadence. But, after getting in the right head space, I enjoyed having Samuelsson share his own story. You could hear his passion, sadness, and joy.