Chef Interrupted: Discovering Life’s Second Course in Ireland with Multiple Sclerosis
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- 6,49 €
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- 6,49 €
Descrizione dell’editore
When Trevis Gleason, a former chef at the top of his professional culinary career, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he lost everything—his job, his marriage, even his perceived persona. Surveying the ruins of his former life, he saw an opportunity to fulfill a long-postponed dream. He would travel from Seattle, Washington, to the wilds of west Kerry, Ireland for the winter. Renting a rustic cottage in “The Town,” Trevis braved narrow, sheep-obstructed roads and antiquated heating systems to learn that his life, his loves (including cooking), and even his dreams weren’t lost, just waiting to be rediscovered in this magical place. He acquired a charming puppy named Sadie, who grounded his days and served as a devoted companion as he surmounted inevitable physical setbacks and cultural challenges. All the while, he entertained a steady stream of visiting friends and relatives, including his former wife. The Town’s colorful characters welcomed the American stranger as one of their own, and he soon found himself reveling in the beauty of the rugged countryside, the authentic joy of the holidays, the conviviality of the pubs, and the hearty flavor of the simple food. Recipes included.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After Gleason, a noted Seattle-based chef and food journalist, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, managing his "impaired cognitive abilities, crushing fatigue, and physical limitations" left him unable to work full-time. After working with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and a expert rehab psychologist, he came to realize that "MS is not a death sentence; it's a life sentence." He decided to pursue a lifelong dream of visiting the Ireland of his ancestors and ended up spending three winter months exploring his Irish roots. This memoir of his months in the small town of Kelly is a spry and subtly told tale of the remarkable events he experienced and the "wonderful, genuine, quirky people" who welcomed him into their town and helped him achieve a sense of purpose about living with MS: "It was my duty then... to live fully the life they had helped me realize." His month-by-month narrative is interspersed with a number of his favorite recipes for Irish delights such as steak and Guinness stew and colcannon, and he leavens his joyful account of his sojourn with various displays of his "noir sense of humor," such as when he lovingly describes visiting a butcher's shop that has "what every chef wants to smell... the fresh, sweet smell of fat mingled with the mineral tones of blood and meat."
