And his story about Marco Pierre White's professionalism and standards reminded of an interview the famous chef did with Alex Koppelman of Salon while promoting his memoir, The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness and the Making of a Great Chef.
The opening exchanges of the interview:
Why'd you write this book?Read the full interview.
I think if you've been given a talent, you should show it off, if you've been given opportunity, create opportunity, and if you've been given a story, share your story. I think you have a moral duty to do that. And you know, I've had many chefs come up to me, young boys, and say, "Marco, I love your book," and that's good. But don't do what I did, chase something for 17 years I never wanted. It's a long journey, chasing something until you achieve it and actually you never wanted it. It's a very long journey.
What do you mean, never wanted it?
When I won my three stars, I realized that I'd worked for something all my life that I'd never wanted. I never questioned why, why was I chasing three stars. I never asked myself that question, because I thought it would give me happiness.
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--Marshal Zeringue