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)

Surprisingly wonderful!

What made the experience of listening to Yes, Chef the most enjoyable?

I like the fact that he reads his own book. Yes, he has a somewhat awkward accent but because this is a biography it adds credibility to the story and makes it rather charming.

What did you like best about this story?

Learning about what a true chef goes through to become really good.

What about Marcus Samuelsson’s performance did you like?

Answered above

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I have no idea.

Interesting Journey

It was a overall good story. Being an immigrant gives you a good perspective of how much the world is different.

So much life in such a short time

Would you consider the audio edition of Yes, Chef to be better than the print version?

Yes because I loved Marcus Samuelsson telling his story.

What about Marcus Samuelsson???s performance did you like?

The sincerity in in voice, his openess and disclosure of his struggles and achievements, felt a connection with his family values.

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

It made me think and understand the world of chef's better.

Any additional comments?

Chef's are truly impressive people.

Chef Samuelsson Dishes Up a Winner

Where does Yes, Chef rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 50%.

What three words best describe Marcus Samuelsson’s voice?

Uniquely World Influenced.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I found myself returning to the book.

Any additional comments?

Mr. Samuelsson overdid the whining about race, however I do feel he has made a difference by overcoming many disadvantages to become one of the top chefs in the world. He is an innovator and not afraid to admit his shortcomings and mistakes. I highly recommend this book.

Pretty near perfect

If you could sum up Yes, Chef in three words, what would they be?

a tasty adventure

What did you like best about this story?

great reading from Samuelsson, a really interesting meander through Europe, NYC and Ethiopia. anyone who enjoys stellar food writing like Ruth Reichl or Anthony Bourdain should read this one - but there's also a great balance with Samuelsson's truly interesting story, from growing up adopted in Sweden to finding fame in the US, to reconnecting with his African roots. all around a great audiobook.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

i'm the type that needs to take a break every once in a while - but it was pretty captivating and a great companion to a 3 day road trip.

Highly Recommend!!

I was not aware of Marcus Samuelsson prior to purchasing this book--but I'm very happy I listened to his memoir. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

It was fun to listen to him talk about his early life, his early culinary years, and of course, his current success in the restaurant world. Through the many ups and down, I just wanted to cheer him on--

I loved that he narrated this audiobook--his accent was a little distracting at first, but I quickly got past it. He, and his memoir, were totally charming!!

Culinary Memior at Its Best

I've read a lot of memoirs about cooking from Ruth Reichl to Anthony Bourdain but this might be the best one yet. Samualsson's reading makes it so personal to listen to but he remains humble throughout. This isn't the cocky book that usually comes from the celebrity chef world. This is absolutely worth your credit!

Deliciously Served

What a beautiful story of life, love and food. Marcus is passionate about the flavors of life and uniting humanity with the tastes of his multicultural background. Yes, Chef is a metaphor for life through spices, tastes and textures deliciously served.

Each One, Teach One.

I wanted to read this book for a year after hearing Marcus on an Audicted interview. I read Made In Harlem first (which was also mentioned in the interview) but got me into the unique, rich and beautiful culture of Harlem.

I loved this book from start to finish but the last third of the book is spectacular and goes from a story to a treatise on race, family, identity, culture, class, honor, dignity and service to others.

Recommended 100%

The Beginning & The End, A Beautiful Story

It may appear to be Marcus' journey to being the man he is today, but it is greater than that. It is a love story. It is love for his family, love for the people that helped him on his journey, love for his various communities, a love of food, and a love for all people. What Marcus creates is greater than delicious food. It is the ability to instill courage and understanding to one's shortcomings and to still prevail. This is one of the best books that I have listened to or read in years.