cover image Mincemeat: The Education of an Italian Chef

Mincemeat: The Education of an Italian Chef

Leonardo Lucarelli, trans. from the Italian by Lorena Rossi Gori and Danielle Rossi. Other Press, $25.95 (320p) ISBN 978-1-59051-791-8

Italian chef and consultant Lucarelli has worked in kitchens ranging from holes in the wall to chic Michelin-starred eateries. Though he doesn’t revisit all of them, he gives readers a glimpse at the day-to-day lives of those working the line under harsh conditions. It’s a story that’s been told, and told better, many times before. Lucarelli’s tale includes lots of drugs, cops, lurid sex, busy nights, short fuses, and high stakes. He offers insight into what it really takes to not only become a chef but sustain a career, in addition to moments of solipsistic reflection. The urge to compare the book to Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential is inevitable, and under that scrutiny Lucarelli’s work falls far short. His themes are similar to Bourdain’s, but his book is a lesser version of the same story. Lucarelli, though a talented writer, doesn’t have the same bravado and chutzpah. Those in the restaurant and hospitality industry will likely recognize themselves in some of the book’s vignettes. (Dec.)