Where I come from : life lessons from a Latino chef

In Where I Come From , America's most prominent Latino chef shares the story behind his food, his family, and his professional journey.

"Chef Aarón Sánchez's memoir touched my soul." --Oscar De La Hoya

Before Chef Aarón Sánchez rose to fame on shows such as MasterChef and Chopped , he was a restless Mexican American son, raised by a fiercely determined and talented woman who was a successful chef and restaurateur in her own right. She is credited with bringing authentic Mexican cuisine to the New York City dining scene.

Sánchez, who lost his father at a young age, was destined to follow in his mother Zarela's footsteps. He spent nights as a child in his family's dining room surrounded by some of the most influential chefs and restaurateurs in New York. At 16, needing direction, he was sent by his mother to work for renowned chef Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans.

In this memoir, Sánchez delves into his formative years with remarkable candor, injecting his story with adrenaline and revealing how he fell in love with cooking and started a career in the fast-paced culinary world. Sánchez shares the invaluable lessons he learned from his upbringing and his training--both inside and outside the kitchen--and offers an intimate look into the chaotic and untraditional life of a professional chef and television personality

This memoir is Sánchez's highly personal account of a fatherless Latino kid whose talent and passion took him to success at the top of his profession.

"A testament to family and the mentors that shape a young cook into a passionate, innovative, and ruthless chef." --Gordon Ramsay

"This captivating book reminds us that food is dynamic, a form of cultural currency." --Emeril Lagasse

Author Notes

Aarón Sánchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, cookbook author, and philanthropist. He is the costar of the hit series MasterChef and MasterChef Jr. and has starred and guest-starred on many television series on Food Network and Cooking Channel. He lives in New Orleans.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Sánchez (Simple Food Big Flavor), cohost of MasterChef, earnestly traces his origins as a Mexican-American kid growing up in El Paso, Tex., to his success as a celebrity chef and restaurateur. Sánchez formed early food memories of his mother's cooking (and the "piquant aroma of chiles and guisados") while helping with her part-time catering business in El Paso. When she relocated the family to New York City to pursue her culinary career, Sánchez got an early education in the business of food. He recounts a summer as a troubled teen "getting a culinary crash course" at K-Paul's with legendary New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme; covers his years working in largely Latino-run kitchens (he is currently executive chef of Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans); and gives a behind-the-scenes look at his roles on food television, which he saw as "my chance to do something major for my culture." Throughout, Sánchez advocates for women and people of color, insisting it's "time to get our act together as an industry," and he shares recipes from his family and kitchens, such as a seared salmon with pumpkin seed mole. Sánchez's fans will relish this richly told life story of a chef celebrating his roots. (Oct.)

Kirkus Review

Snchez (Simple Food, Big Flavor, 2011, etc.) plates a taster's menu of personal and professional influences, not to mention a few culinary travails, in a memoir infused with succulence, revelation, and ethnic pride.Son of a gustatory pioneer, the author is a seasoned chef, restaurateur, and TV personality (currently seen on MasterChef) whose Latin roots run deep. Born in El Paso, nurtured in New York, and now based in New Orleans, he shot to international fame as a regular on the Food Network. This chronicle of an adventurous life in and out of the kitchen is a love letter not just to expansive pan-Latin cuisine, but to the power of food to bring cultures together and discover the most nourishing qualities of each. The book is also a cautionary tale for the higher reaches of a hospitality industry often distracted by inessentials, risky behavior, and the traps of celebrity. Throughout the well-constructed narrative (which includes recipes), the writing is crisp, candid, and rich with emotion, the latter ingredient applied liberally. The author's account of the evolution of Food Network is especially flavorsome. But Snchez reserves much room in the pot for an inward and outward journey of self-exploration as a man of two worlds, Mexican and American. The "life lessons" of the subtitle are not originalwhose are?but they are certainly valid for those in the food industry struggling to balance family and sanity with workload and opportunity, and they are no less instructive for aspiring chefs or those dealing with chronic depression and anxiety. With a soupon of sympathy, Snchez can even make the painful palatable. Occasionally, the narrative is somewhat repetitive, and, though trivial, a too-liberal use of the F-word might be off-putting for some readers. Nonetheless, the author offers readers a delicious reading experience.If the Michelin guide gave a star to memoirs of a life in food, Snchez rates at least a pair. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Food Network television personality Sánchez hails from El Paso. As a youth, he abandoned Texas to accompany his career-focused mother to New York City. For Aarón and his twin brother, the transition was hard, since they had to leave behind their adored, but flawed, father. Sánchez took to life in the Big Apple, and his mother found fame as one of the first regional Mexican chefs in New York City, opening her eponymous restaurant, Zarela. Applying himself, he made good money running the restaurant's hatcheck, but the lure of street drugs proved strong. His mother sent him to New Orleans to work with Paul Prudhomme, and there he learned just what it takes to get along in a restaurant kitchen. Then it was back to New York to build his own platform as national hunger for regional Mexican cuisine exploded. A few recipes put in appearances, documenting stages in Sánchez's professional growth.--Mark Knoblauch Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

In this memoir by celebrity chef Sánchez (Simple Food, Big Flavor), the author shares stories about his early years living with his mother, Zarela Martinez-Gabilondo, a celebrated chef-restaurateur in her own right. Following in Zarela's footsteps, Sánchez knew at a young age that he wanted to be a chef. After getting into some trouble, he was sent to New Orleans for a summer, where he learned the basics and grunt work of cooking in the kitchen of famed chef Paul Prudhomme. Through this experience, Sánchez fell in love with cooking and started out in the kitchens of some of New York's famed restaurants. Sánchez credits many of the chefs and restaurateurs of these establishments with influencing his culinary style and career. He explains the ups and downs of trying to open a successful restaurant while also trying to sustain personal relationships. Some of the triumphs touched on include moving to New Orleans to open his restaurant, Johnny Sánchez. In addition, the book contains several delicious recipes, including one for seafood étouffée. VERDICT Highly recommended for foodies and memoir aficionados.--Holly Skir, Broward Cty. Lib., FL

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