Emma Brockes

Dominique Crenn

When Dominique Crenn was awarded three Michelin Stars in 2018 for her influential San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn, she became the first female chef in the United States to receive this highly coveted honor. As the first female chef in the United States to receive anystars from the prestigious Michelin restaurant guide, she had previously made waves as the first female executive chef in Indonesia. These were no small feats for someone who hadn't gone to culinary school or been formally trained in French kitchens. In Rebel Chef, Crenn reflects on her untraditional coming of age as a chef, beginning with her happy childhood in Versailles where, as the adopted daughter of a politician, she was emboldened to be curious and independent, and to find her own voice. She was exposed to fine dining from a young age, and a family friend, a restaurant critic, encouraged her to see the story behind the food. But at 21, after deciding to become a chef, Crenn found it to be a near impossible dream in France, where men dominated the kitchens. Never one to be told no, she moved to San Francisco to work under the legendary Jeremiah Tower. It was there that her training began. But there is another reason Crenn has always felt free to pursue her own unconventional course. Adopted as a toddler, she didn't resemble her parents, or even look traditionally French. Growing up she often felt like an outsider, and was haunted by a past she knew nothing about. But after years of working to fill this blank space, Crenn recognized this duality as a source of strength, one which gives her the power to be whoever she wants to be. Filled with stories from the years Crenn spent working in the male-centric world of professional kitchens, tracking her career from struggling cook to being named the World's Best Female Chef, starring on Netflix's "Chef's Table," and running one the world's most acclaimed restaurants - while at the same time speaking out on restaurant culture, sexism, immigration, and climate change - Rebel Chef is a disarmingly honest and revealing look at one woman's evolution from a daring young chef to a respected activist. At once a tale of personal discovery and a tribute to unrelenting determination, Rebel Chefis the story of one woman making a place for herself in the kitchen, and in the world.

In Search of What Matters

Rebel Chef

The debut cookbook from the first female chef in America to earn two Michelin stars Atelier Crenn is the debut cookbook of Dominique Crenn, the first female chef in America to be awarded two Michelin stars--and arguably the greatest female chef in the country. This gorgeous book traces Crenn's rise from her childhood in France to her unprecedented success with her own restaurant, Atelier Crenn, in San Francisco. Crenn's food is centered around organic, sustainable ingredients with an unusual, inventive, and always stunning presentation. To put it simply, Crenn's dishes are works of art. Her recipes reflect her poetic nature with evocative names like "A Walk in the Forest," "Birth," and "The Sea." Even the dishes that sound familiar, like Fish and Chips, or Broccoli and Beef Tartare, challenge the expected with their surprising components and her signature creative plating. This impressive and beautiful cookbook by a chef who is often the only woman to be mentioned in the same breath with other culinary giants is bound to captivate the food world.

Metamorphosis of Taste

Atelier Crenn

“Dominique Crenn is a hero to so many of us, both inside and out of the restaurant industry. She has unlimited courage to always follow her own path, to carve her own way in the world. This book, and Dominique’s whole life, show that everything and anything is possible if you believe in yourself and you keep pushing forward, always forward.” —José Andrés The inspiring and deeply personal memoir from highly acclaimed chef Dominique Crenn When Dominique Crenn decided to become a chef, she knew it was a near impossible dream in France where almost all restaurant kitchens were run by men. She left her home and everything she knew to move to San Francisco, and almost thirty years later was awarded three Michelin stars in 2018 for her influential restaurant Atelier Crenn, the first female chef in the United States to receive this honor—no small feat for someone who hadn’t been formally trained. In Rebel Chef, Crenn tells of her untraditional coming-of-age as a chef. Adopted as a toddler, she didn’t resemble her parents, and was haunted by a past she knew nothing about. But after years of working to fill this blank space, Crenn embraced the power her history gave her to be whoever she wants to be. In this disarmingly honest look at one woman’s evolution from a daring young chef to a respected activist, Crenn reflects on the years she spent working in the male-centric world of professional kitchens and tracks her career from struggling cook to running one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants. At once a tale of personal discovery and a tribute to unrelenting determination, Rebel Chef is the story of one woman making a place for herself in the kitchen, and in the world.

Dominique Crenn

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