32 Yolks by Eric Ripert

I recently completed reading this fantastic book by French born and trained chef Eric Ripert. Eric is the chef and co-owner at the famous New York restaurant Le Bernardin and initially came to my attention as the very good friend of the late great Anthony Bourdain. Eric if I remember rightly is the person who found Tony's body on that fateful day in France that shook the foodie world or at least the English speaking parts of it.

 This great book is one for the true believers. An amazing incite into the childhood, at times distressing and early cooking career on Eric. How much do I tell without ruining the reading? Hopefully, if you're lucky, just the right amount.

 The book starts out telling of Eric's childhood and his parents' marriage breakdown. He talks about eating in high quality restaurants with his mother and about appreciating good food early in life. He talks about staying with grandparents who gave him different views of great cooking and eating. He then tells of the difficulties of growing up after his mother starts living with a good for nothing guy who treats Eric abusively before having him shipped off to boarding school. Eric, his mother and good for nothing move to Andorra and it is here that Eric comes across a Chef who allows him access to his kitchen and food and gives the inspiration to become a chef.

 He loses his father to an untimely death and suffers though and survives more difficulties at school. All the while his extremely hard working mother continues to put food on the table through her clothing stores. From there his life heads as we should expect to culinary school where despite a table waiting disaster young Eric makes his way through and into the only three star Michelin restaurant to respond to his 18 sent resumes.

 La Tour d'Argent is where he meets Maurice a chef who shows him by methods that could be kindly described as tough learning. This is early 1980's or late 1970's Paris after all, would we expect any less. Whilst the early parts of the book told a nice story it is from this point on that had me not wanting to put the book down. The incites into life in fine dining restaurants in arguably the greatest culinary city of them all is as close as we can get without having lived it. The restaurant is so old that it was mentioned in the Marcel Proust classic Remembrance of things past which was published between 1913 and 1927. Eric spends a year and a half at La TourTour d'Argent and learns to become a chef. The chefs there teach him and although their methods are not for the weak they do give him the foundations that he can build on in his career. The head chef Bouchet sends him off to work at the most cutting edge restaurant in Paris at the time to work with one of if not the finest chef in the world Joel Robuchon.

 In this part of the book I want to read more and more but I also want to slow down because I don't want it to end. The dramas of his life to this point are nothing compared to working for an amazing genius. The Chef he started with at La Tour d'Argent is already there waiting for him and greets Eric with a "are you following me Ripert?" on seeing him arrive for work at Jamin. Jamin was only open Monday to Friday, but young Eric worked from between 6 or 7 in the morning until after midnight and slept the first day of the weekend to recover. The other day, Sunday was spent practising. This is where his greatness is born. Robuchon has a vision and passion that only a genius can. I loved the fly on the wall stuff here.Not sure where you grab a copy buy definitely get your hands on one.

 From Jamin, Eric does a year of Military Service and then amazingly returns to Robuchon for another stint in hell. He meets a girl and whilst on Military service and enjoys learning about food from her I think uncle in rural France. At the end of his time a Jamin he ends the book but heading off to the USA and life begins again. I think there is another book for him to write.

 All in all a wonderful book of only 247 pages. Loved it to bits. Want to find out what 32 yolks refers to? Read the book. There is so much more inside this wonderful excursion into early 80's Parisian kitchen life, A must read.