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Generation Chef
- Risking It All for a New American Dream
- Narrated by: Cady McClain
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
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Publisher's summary
Inside what life is really like for the new generation of professional cooks - a captivating tale of the make-or-break first year at a young chef's new restaurant.
For many young people, being a chef is as compelling a dream as being a rock star or professional athlete. Skill and creativity in the kitchen are more profitable than ever before, as cooks scramble to reach the top - but talent isn't enough. Today's chef needs the business savvy of a high-risk entrepreneur, determination, and big dose of luck.
The heart of Generation Chef is the story of Jonah Miller, who at age 24 attempts to fulfill a lifelong dream by opening the Basque restaurant Huertas in New York City, still the high-stakes center of the restaurant business for an ambitious young chef. Miller, a rising star who has been named to the 30-Under-30 list of both Forbes and Zagat, quits his job as a sous chef, creates a business plan, lines up investors, leases a space, hires a staff, and gets ready to put his reputation and his future on the line.
Journalist and food writer Karen Stabiner takes us inside Huertas's roller-coaster first year, but also provides insight into the challenging world a young chef faces today - the intense financial pressures, the overcrowded field of aspiring cooks, and the impact of reviews and social media, which can dictate who survives.
A fast-paced narrative filled with suspense, Generation Chef is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at drive and passion in one of today's hottest professions.
Critic reviews
"Generation Chef is as appetising a start-up tale as a plate of bite-sized Basque erved up by protagonist chef Jonah Miller." (Financial Times)
"You'll gobble up this delicious behind-the-scenes account of a start-up restaurant in New York City...This book is as much about dreams and passion as it is about food." (Star Tribune)
https://tt.amazon.com/0175060423“Karen Stabiner’s Generation Chef is a model of great reporting and great storytelling on a subject that remains endlessly fascinating. A young cook putting everything on the line to pursue the one dream that matters to him, cooking for people in the toughest restaurant city in the world. The chapters leading up to and following the New York Times critic’s visits are worth the price of admission. I truly admire this book.” (Michael Ruhlman, author of The Soul)
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What listeners say about Generation Chef
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-06-16
very inspiring
this story was very inspiring to me as a young Chef as I navigate the changes that are happening in this industry from generation to generation
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- Sarah
- 02-10-23
Not a page turner
This book was fairly slow for a chef book but still an overall enjoyable experience.
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- Steve
- 11-17-16
Pretty good!
I would have given it a two more 5* but the story trailed off during the last could chapters. Overall, it was a great story, since I'm in the culinary industry, and I enjoyed the narration.
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1 person found this helpful
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- bob carter
- 10-23-17
incredibly revealing
this book was incredibly revealing about the struggles, sacrifices and realities of the joy and disappointments of the entreprenereal life
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