by Grant Achatz
First published 2011
Grant Achatz opens his memoir at the peak of his culinary career in 2007. He has earned recognition from Food & Wine and the James Beard Foundation, and his restaurant Alinea has been named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine. Then doctors diagnose him with stage IV tongue cancer. They recommend removing his entire tongue, which would end his career as a chef. Achatz chooses aggressive chemotherapy and radiation instead. The treatment strips skin from his mouth and throat. He loses weight rapidly and cannot taste food. Despite the physical devastation, he continues working at Alinea almost every day. He teaches his kitchen staff to replicate his palate and learns to cook using his remaining senses. His business partner Nick Kokonas watches the food quality improve even as Achatz battles for his life. Five months later, Achatz beats the cancer. The memoir chronicles his journey from rising star to cancer survivor, exploring how passion for cooking sustained him through his darkest period.
Genres: memoir, biography-memoir, health, culinary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, passion-project
400 pages · Hardcover · Gotham
Content warnings: medical-trauma