How I Learned To Cook

Before he was a top chef, Tom Colicchio learned to love cooking when he was still slinging burgers at a poolside snack bar. Barbara Lynch tells the story of lying her way into her first chef's job and then needing to cook her way out of trouble in the galley kitchen of a ship at sea. Stories of mentorship abound: Rick Bayless tells the story of finally working with Julia Child, his childhood hero; Gary Danko of earning the trust of the legendary Madeleine Kamman. How I Learned to Cook is an irresistible treat, a must-have for anyone who loves food and wants a look into the lives of the men and women who masterfully prepare it.

Kimberly Witherspoon is a founding partner at Inkwell Management, a literary agency based in Manhattan, and is the coeditor of Don't Try This at Home: Culinary Castastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs. She lives with her family in North Salem, New York. Peter Meehan writes about food and drink. He contributes regularly to the New York Times.