The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness, and the Making of a Great Chef

Marco Pierre White put chefs on the map without meaning to. His reputation whilst at Harveys in the 80s filled many a column inch in the London and National Press and yet refrreshingly, he wasn't courting fame, he simply wanted to feed people the best food they could possibly imagine. Before reading this book I had heard of his fearsome reputation, his genius, and his regular appearances in gossip columns (again, not something he courts). When you understand from the early chapters of this book that this is the story of a boy who lost his mother at age six, then you begin to understand the man behind the myth. To say he was passionate and driven would be to understate the case dramatically. He was a loner, being motherless, and later, estranged from his father. Food was everything to the point where he barely had time to eat it any more, let alone sleep or have a life away from the kitchen. Its a gripping story with cameos from various famous faces and a fascinating historical snapshot of London in the Eighties. Its a story of how hard work maketh the man, a story sadly seen all too rarely amongst today's fame hungry consumerism. Marco himself remains a likebale enigma. He has been rude, unpleasant, violent even, and has the decency to admit it and explain why without offering excuses for his past mistakes. He appears awkward with women, understandably so since he wasn't brought up around them, and spent his adolescence in front of a hot stove. He is almost pathologically sensitive and proclaims his affection for a friend in one chapter before stating in the next "we havemn't spoken since". This has happened to just about every mentor and friend he has comes across and perhaps reveals a fear of getting close to anyone in case they leave as his mother did. Or maybe he's just picky, who knows? Its a shame though, as he appears to inspire great and deep affection in those who know him. Its hardly surprising that having been the youngest and first British chef to acheive three Michelin stars, he hung up his apron in 1999 whilst still in his thirties. He is now married with a total of four children and more of a businessman than a chef today. However, if you saw him in Hell's Kitchen earlier in 2006, you will see, as I did that there is an unmistakable charisma there and a code of honour and respect that is positively Sicilian. I will also mention that this is edited (or ghostwritten) but I sense that this could be because Marco is dyslexic and has never switched on a computer in his life. His turn of phrase, from the humourous to the downright poetic, is unmistakeable and his vibrant rumbling tone, with just a soupcon of Leeds, is heard loud and clear throughout. As you can probably guess, this book made a huge impact on me and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone, regardless of their usual reading preferences. I am sure you, like me, will agree that this motherless boy deserves his happily ever after with his wife and family.

I have been a fan of this great man for years and finally got to read his bio a few weeks ago and what a read it was! Ever since I saw a documentary years ago I have been fascinated by what makes this man tick. I have never believed what the press said about him as I like to make my own mind up about people. The papers have always seemed to have it in for Marco and have given him some really unfair names over the years. Yes, he bollocked guys if they did not pull there weight...But it was never personal, just part of working in a VERY BUSY professional kitchen and he did fall out with one or two good friends, but don't we all? If you buy this book you will see in to the Real life of, yes, the greatest British chef who has ever lived bar none! The main artery that runs through this book is story of Marco loosing his mum at the age of six and it just shows him as a real person with real feelings and he really does have a very kind heart as you will find out if you read this fine book...The final page really made me weep, and as a full blooded male I am not ashamed at all!. If we had grown up on the same street we could have been best mates as we both liked fishing , shooting and...POACHING! good on yer Marco and God bless you great man!

Marco Pierre White what an amazing story. Ever wanted to know what you can achieve by hard work and passion? How about the youngest ever 3 Michelin Star holder and First Ever British 3 Michelin Star Chef. The almost rock star status he had achieved by his late twenties is all the more amazing when you consider. He grew up on a council estate in Leeds, his mother died when he was 6 and his father worked all hours to keep the family together. This is the story of how he did it, warts and all. After all Marco was also famous as the foul mouthed bully of the kitchen. It seems to work though as many of his young chefs went onto make big names for themselves. Including the mighty Gordon Ramsey. At the time this book was written, they had fallen out big time.I hope that many years later they have reconciled, but given Marco's past record I doubt it. Anyway, a fantastic book that should make 99.9% of people run away from the thought of being a chef and should make 99% of chefs realise that really they may never be more than glorified cooks. Such were the standards he set.

I mean that not only in terms of what it means to become a 3 star chef but also an insight into the life of the man himself. This book both shocks and inspires in equal measure. He speaks frankly and honestly about the death of his mother, friends won and lost (most lost by his own choices), various 'incidents' between him and customers/staff/press and what it takes to become the very best. I must admit I really felt for him at first and could draw many comparisons to my own life, however the more I read the more I realised that most of his downfalls are of his own creation. For someone to nearly kill themselves to get to the very top only to realise it isn't what they wanted after all and give it all away - amazing. Macro is not someone I was overly familiar with, more the generation before mine that would have eaten in his establishments but I have to say this is a fantastic book, I enjoyed reading about his life immensely and even those not that interested in gastronomy will still enjoy this. He even finds time to pass on the occasional pearl of culinary wisdom. Massive respect for him as a professional and a person after reading this.

Purchased as a Christmas gift for an apprentice Chef. A cracking good read from a global culinary icon. Read it!

las copias fisicas siempre son lo mejor

Great read for any food lover

Rollercoaster read about the great chef's life. He is forthright and candid about his exciting life. His honesty, love for his craft and dedication comes through his writing

Marco Pierre White is a true chef. I have known of this man for a while, with only minor exposure. After watching the "Marco Cooks for..." television series from the 90s, I became very intrigued about this man and wanted to know more. With little arrogance, Marco writes about his life in this easy to read book. From very humble beginnings and his rise to a three star chef, as well as a combination of accolades that any chef has yet to duplicate. I have so much respect for Marco after reading this. He really pushed himself at every moment he could to get into a new kitchen and cook. He may have gained a reputation for being a bully and extreme in his methods, but as a youth he was the one who took the bullying, he accepted criticisms and it made him strive to get better. A slough of coincidences got him jobs and put him in kitchens with people that propelled his career into ways he never imagined. What's more is that he, unlike other celebrity chefs, actually cared about the food. He always kept on an apron alongside his brigade, his hands burning on the stove with the others. After holding onto his three stars for five years, he decided to hand them back. He thought the system was corrupt. Why should restaurants hold onto stars that the chefs don't even cook at? How can stars be transferred from one place to another? Are the stars for the food, the restaurant, or the chef? Along with a collection of amusing stories and events, as well as some actual insight into the methods of fine dining, you will gain a great respect for Marco, regardless of how much you may or may not know about him or cooking. A great read!