White

Since I haven't had a chance to go a bookstore and my books from New York have yet to arrive, I started to re-read some of the books lying around the shelves in Taipei. One of them is Marco Pierre White's autobiography, The Devil in the Kitchen.

White is an English chef from Leeds known for his unique talent in the kitchen as well as his quick temper. He was awarded three Michelin stars when he was only 33 - the youngest at the time. He has inspired countless chefs, the most famous is his former protege Gordon Ramsay. At age 38 in 1999, White retired from the kitchen and gave back his Michelin stars. Now he no longer cooks but still owns and oversees a number of restaurants.

The book is quite moving as it tells the compelling story of White's early struggle, apprenticeships in the best restaurants in London, development as a chef, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Interspersed between the biographical stories are White's ideas on food and cooking techniques including seasoning, refinement of classic dishes, frying an egg, and roasting a chicken.