27 Chefs, 27 reasons to drool

On my good friend Cheryl’s rec, I am reading Chef’s Story: 27 Chefs Talk About What Got Them into the Kitchen I just started it. Each chef tells a wonderful, compact tale, laden with sense memory and gorgeous descriptions.

I should have predicted how hungry each chapter would make me. Last week, a new friend asked me if I was a foodie. I didn’t say “Yes! Absolutely!” I think of myself as a word person. A book person.

But you know what? I’m a foodie. Especially recently. I cook. I haunt the farmer’s market. I read these chapters by chefs and I dream. (I also kind of want to lick the pages. If only scratch-and-sniff technology would evolve to the next level.)

In a perfect world, I would be able to eat some of the food they’re describing. Here’s the shopping list.

1. José Andrés: Paella. or tapas. And I remember how much I love Spanish food.
2. Dan Barber: carrots or salad fresh from the garden.
3. Lidia Bastianich. Jell-O chocolate pudding pie. Or polenta with mushrooms.
4. Rick Bayless: Authentic Mexican. Homemade tortillas!! This man’s an ethnographer of food. If I had known this was possible, I would have gone to grad school immediately. I can’t cook at that level but… wow!
5. David Bouley- Sushi.

To be continued