by Kwame Onwuachi
In 2019, Kwame Onwuachi received much praise for his food. Food & Wine magazine named him one of its Best New Chefs, the James Beard Awards christened him Rising Star Chef of the Year, and Esquire chose him as Chef of the Year, identifying his restaurant Kith/Kin as one of the Best New Restaurants in America. His journey to this success, however, was rocky. Raised between New York City and Nigeria, he experienced a great diversity of delicious food and developed a passion for it; he had also become a gang member. His critically acclaimed memoir describes how he managed to enter the world of elite cooking, and how as a young chef he was forced to grapple with just how unwelcoming that world can be for people of color. He offers a heartfelt and utterly honest account of chasing his dreams.
See the Jones Library Antiracism Book List for recommended titles for all ages.