About this item
New York Times best sellerHailed by Anthony Bourdain as "heartbreaking, horrifying, poignant, and inspiring", 32 Yolks is the brave and affecting coming-of-age story about the making of a French chef, from the culinary icon behind the renowned New York City restaurant Le Bernardin.Named one of the best books of the year by NPRIn an industry where celebrity chefs are known as much for their salty talk and quick tempers as their food, Eric Ripert stands out. The winner of four James Beard Awards, co-owner and chef of a world-renowned restaurant, and recipient of countless Michelin stars, Ripert embodies elegance and culinary perfection. But before the accolades, before he even knew how to make a proper hollandaise sauce, Eric Ripert was a lonely young boy in the south of France whose life was falling apart. Riperts parents divorced when he was six, separating him from the father he idolized and replacing him with a cold, bullying stepfather who insisted that Ripert be sent away to boarding school. A few years later, Riperts father died on a hiking trip. Through these tough times, the one thing that gave Ripert comfort was food. Told that boys had no place in the kitchen, Ripert would instead watch from the doorway as his mother rolled couscous by hand or his grandmother pressed out the buttery dough for the treat he loved above all others, tarte aux pommes. When an eccentric local chef took him under his wing, an 11-year-old Ripert realized that food was more than just an escape: It was his calling. That passion would carry him through the drudgery of culinary school and into the high-pressure world of Paris most elite restaurants, where Ripert discovered that learning to cook was the easy part - surviving the line was the battle. Taking us from Eric Riperts childhood in the south of France and the mountains of Andorra into the demanding kitchens of such legendary Parisian chefs as Joel Robuchon and Dominique Bouchet, until, at the age of 24, Ripert made his way to the United States, 32 Yolks is the tender and richly told story of how one of our greatest living chefs found himself - and his home - in the kitchen. Praise for 32 Yolks"Passionate, poetical... What makes 32 Yolks compelling is the honesty and laudable humility Ripert brings to the telling." (Chicago Tribune) "With a vulnerability and honesty that is breathtaking... Ripert takes us into the mind of a boy with thoughts so sweet they will cause you to weep." (The Wall Street Journal)
About the Author
Eric Ripert is grateful for his early exposure to two cuisines--that of Antibes, France, where he was born, and to Andorra, a small country just over the Spanish border where he moved as a young child. His family instilled their own passion for food in the young Ripert, and at the age of 15 he left home to attend culinary school in Perpignan. At 17, he moved to Paris and cooked at the legendary La Tour D'Argent before taking a position at the Michelin three-starred Jamin. After fulfilling his military service, Ripert returned to Jamin under Joel Robuchon to serve as chef poissonier. In 1989, Ripert seized the opportunity to work under Jean-Louis Palladin as sous-chef at Jean Louis at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Ripert moved to New York in 1991, working briefly as David Bouley's sous-chef before Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze recruited him as chef for Le Bernardin. Ripert has since firmly established himself as one of New York's--and the world's--great chefs. In 1995, at just 29 years old, Ripert earned a four-star rating from the New York Times. 20 years later and for the fifth consecutive time, Le Bernardin again earned the New York Times' highest rating of four stars, becoming the only restaurant to maintain this superior status for this length of time, without ever dropping a star. In September 2011, Ripert and Le Coze unveiled a significant redesign of Le Bernardin from Bentel & Bentel that earned the restaurant a James Beard Award for "Best Restaurant Design" in 2012. The new look features a lounge, a first for the restaurant, where a separate menu is available.Three years later in September 2014, Ripert and Le Coze opened Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, named for the acclaimed wine director Aldo Sohm. Located just steps away from Le Bernardin, the wine bar offers a menu of cheese, charcuterie and simple fare paired with Sohm's curated wine list in a casual, convivial setting. That same month, the two expanded Le Bernardin's private dining offerings with Le Bernardin Privé, a dynamic space above Aldo Sohm Wine Bar that can accommodate a range of events, including weddings, cocktail receptions and corporate meetings. GQ named Le Bernardin the best restaurant in America in 1997, and in 2007, the magazine named Le Bernardin one of "Seven Food Temples of the World." In 2005, New York magazine declared Le Bernardin the #1 restaurant in the city, awarding it five stars in the inaugural restaurant rating issue - a position it holds today. Also in 2005, Bon Appetit declared Ripert's Butter-Poached Lobster with Tarragon and Champagne its "Dish of the Year." Le Bernardin continues to receive universal critical acclaim for its food and service, and currently ranks 18 on the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list. The Michelin Guide, which made its New York debut in 2005, honored Chef Ripert and Le Bernardin with its highest rating of three stars in 2005 and each year thereaf
