A couple of weeks ago, I met Rick Tramanto, who's a big-time chef. He ended up giving me a copy of his book Scars of a Chef. I was going to wait to finish it to give a review, but it's so good, I can't put it down and need to talk about it now.
It's about his dysfunctional background and the crazy world of kitchens, which makes me wonder how he's been able to function at such a high intensity without having a heart attack. It's also well-written, which really must be the work of his co-author, because he repeatedly talks about his dyslexia and lack of education in the book. Because his reading ability wasn't good, he had to work extra hard to learn the ropes of the industry and have a great memory and observational skills to take in all the information. It's not like he never read any cookbooks, but it's pretty clear he struggled a lot, and dropped out of high school and avoided culinary schools.
I can't believe what he's done in his life and how much he's achieved. For everything he's done and the extreme success he's experienced, he seems like a very down-to-earth, friendly guy. He does say in the book, however, that he was brutal in the kitchen and treated underlings harshly, just like the chefs that he worked with.
Anyway, give it a read. I might write about it again after I finish it. Or I might attempt the impossible and try to score an interview with him. I'm not Oprah or the other media megastars he's dealt with, so who knows how he'll respond :D
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