In new memoir, chef reveals ‘Appetite for the Extreme’
Brooklyn BookBeat: Author to speak in DUMBO
On Monday, Sept. 29, famed chef Jesse Schenker of Recette and recently-opened The Gander will celebrate the release of his new memoir, “All or Nothing: One Chef’s Appetite for the Extreme,” with a book launch at the powerHouse Arena in DUMBO. Adam Sachs, editorial director of Tasting Table, will join the event to moderate the Q&A portion.
“All or Nothing” is a story of obsession, addiction and a deep passion for cooking that led to eventual redemption. Growing up in wealthy Suburban Florida, Schenker realized his love for cooking at an early age when he began preparing meticulous meals with his grandmother. Soon thereafter, he was introduced to marijuana and discovered the same sense of calm that he found in the kitchen – and threw himself into a drug habit with the same force he had brought to cooking.
As his culinary experience grew, so did his drug use, which quickly snowballed into an addiction to opiates, heroin, crack and more. By age 21, he had robbed, cheated, lied and overdosed. He was kicked out of his home, forced to live on the streets and in shelters. His eventual arrest and re-focus on cooking in prison motivated him to get clean. He learned to channel his obsessive behavior by putting all of his energy into his first addiction – food.
