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j45rpm's review against another edition
5.0
Very well written--Ripert does a great job conveying his childhood, the impact of changing family dynamics, his experience in cooking school, his experience as a raw cook on the line, etc. His stories are compelling, and it is really interesting hearing about the influences that shaped him into being a master chef.
My one complaint is that the book feels like it just abruptly ends. I was reading the eBook, so I didn't have the physical warning from a waning number of pages that I'd have had with the physical book, but it felt like I was deep into reading the book and it just stops.
My one complaint is that the book feels like it just abruptly ends. I was reading the eBook, so I didn't have the physical warning from a waning number of pages that I'd have had with the physical book, but it felt like I was deep into reading the book and it just stops.
quiltmom14's review against another edition
4.0
A great memoir from a serious chef. Interesting that I read this around the time Anthony Bourdaine died, and Eric Rupert was apparently the one who found him. Rupert’s story is easy to read, heartfelt...recommended.
danibean19's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great coming-of-age memoir, about a truly fascinating chef. I felt transported by the artful descriptions of the different places he lived and worked in France and Andorra. It seems to be a very open, honest telling of his youth including his own mistakes and shortcomings, dreams and aspirations. I would read it again for the soulful descriptions of ingredients, dishes, techniques alone.
maryehavens's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy these types of food memoirs even if the story is similar to the other ones I've read (Kitchen Confidential, Blood, Bones and Butter, etc.).
All I knew about Ripert before this book was he was an attractive world class chef that frequented Top Chef and those types of Food Network type shows. I always liked his presence: quiet and kind. I would have never thought he would have been abused or had a temper from his appearance on those shows.
I enjoyed the food talk and learning about his journey. His passion for food is remarkable but it sounds like, to be a top chef, you must be that passionate.
I enjoyed the audiobook narration - he pronounced the French words well, or I thought so. I wish that there had been a bit of a description of the dishes for the non-Francophile just so I could know what the food consisted of.
I was surprised to learn that Ripert is a Buddhist! Suddenly the quiet, kind chef makes sense :)
All I knew about Ripert before this book was he was an attractive world class chef that frequented Top Chef and those types of Food Network type shows. I always liked his presence: quiet and kind. I would have never thought he would have been abused or had a temper from his appearance on those shows.
I enjoyed the food talk and learning about his journey. His passion for food is remarkable but it sounds like, to be a top chef, you must be that passionate.
I enjoyed the audiobook narration - he pronounced the French words well, or I thought so. I wish that there had been a bit of a description of the dishes for the non-Francophile just so I could know what the food consisted of.
I was surprised to learn that Ripert is a Buddhist! Suddenly the quiet, kind chef makes sense :)
nsusdorf's review against another edition
4.0
Truly one of the best first chapters of a memoir I've ever read. This book was captivating and makes me want to read another about Ripert's life once he got to America.
charsiew21's review against another edition
4.0
I love it when chef memoirs are written well, especially when the ghost writer is credited together with the chef. Like most books of this genre, 32 Yolks left me with a clear understanding of how Ripert's childhood ended up influencing his eventual career, and a deep respect for the almost-crazy work ethic that contributed to his success.
juliannegern's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting story about the life of one of the best chefs in the US. I liked this book and the look inside some of the top restaurants in France.
_rusalka's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up solely because I needed a read for Andorra and I could not find anything else. Friends on goodreads recommended it. I was skeptical, mainly as I don't really like celebrity memoirs. That and when it was first suggested to me, I had only seen Eric Ripert's own show and I did not like him at all.
As 2021 has progressed, I have now watched a fair amount of Parts Unknown, and Bourdain obviously liked the guy. He was also shown in a very different light than his own show, and was much more likable. So here we are.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, although enjoyed seems a bit harsh with the realities that young Eric had to live through and deal with. A lonely kid who had to deal with a lot of loss and upheaval. As well as violence and other near misses in his life. But it was lovely how he talked about his mother, that maybe he was unaware at the time, but she was his biggest believer even when she made poor decisions that impacted him. I have no doubt she has beaten herself up over some of this as she has learnt of it. But also hearing how he grew and thrived under the wings of other adult advocates and, dare I say it, mentors, was great.
I just think the book plateaued a lot once he got to Paris. I understand the restaurants he was working in where some of the best in the world at the time. I understand that this was so so so incredibly formative. But this part really needed a good edit, I just got stupidly bored.
I was ready after this to find out how the move to America went and how it ended up the way it did in New York. But the book just ended. Which was a little anticlimactic after all the build up. It just, fizzled.
But if you need a book to tick Andorra off the list. It fits the bill!
As 2021 has progressed, I have now watched a fair amount of Parts Unknown, and Bourdain obviously liked the guy. He was also shown in a very different light than his own show, and was much more likable. So here we are.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, although enjoyed seems a bit harsh with the realities that young Eric had to live through and deal with. A lonely kid who had to deal with a lot of loss and upheaval. As well as violence and other near misses in his life. But it was lovely how he talked about his mother, that maybe he was unaware at the time, but she was his biggest believer even when she made poor decisions that impacted him. I have no doubt she has beaten herself up over some of this as she has learnt of it. But also hearing how he grew and thrived under the wings of other adult advocates and, dare I say it, mentors, was great.
I just think the book plateaued a lot once he got to Paris. I understand the restaurants he was working in where some of the best in the world at the time. I understand that this was so so so incredibly formative. But this part really needed a good edit, I just got stupidly bored.
I was ready after this to find out how the move to America went and how it ended up the way it did in New York. But the book just ended. Which was a little anticlimactic after all the build up. It just, fizzled.
But if you need a book to tick Andorra off the list. It fits the bill!
heartofoak1's review against another edition
3.0
interesting if not a bit depressing (his early life was not the happiest.) the second to last chapter which described some time spent on a farm during harvest season made me want to be a vegetarian.