Some people know from day one, they want to be a professional chef. Others, like Anthony Bourdain, stumble into it and discover their calling. The Tony biopic (coming to theatres August 2026) will tell the story of Bourdain's introduction to the world of professional kitchens at 19 years old. To get you fired up for the film, here are some teen books about the industry.
Kwame Onwuachi competed on season 13 of Top Chef and later won the James Beard Foundation’s "Rising Star Chef of the Year" award in 2019. His memoir Notes From A Young Black Chef traces his life/career from growing up poor to running some of the best (and most expensive) restaurants in the country. His journey also details the racism that permeates the fine dining and restaurant industry.
Welcome to Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, the most prestigious, cutthroat, unforgiving cooking school in the world. Yukihira Soma,Tōtsuki's newest entrant, is looked down upon by the elite students who deem his background too pedestrian. Talk is one thing, but can they beat him in a shokugeki cooking duel? Let the Food Wars! begin!
For a great fiction read, order up Elizabeth Acevedo’s With the Fire on High. Emoni is a high school senior who’s always wanted to be a chef, but the path to achieving this won't be easy. In addition to school and work, she has a three year old daughter. Plus, all of the best learning opportunities cost money she doesn’t have. This book is a heartwarming story about love, resilience, and community support.
Looking to broaden your cooking repertoire? The Complete Cookbook for Teens tested each recipe with thousands of teens, and only including those which at least said they'd make again. The recipes are neatly organized, each with full color pictures, and deliciously multicultural.
And of course the book that started it all, Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain’s behind-the-scenes tell-all that changed the way people write about professional cooking. Many of the scenes in the Tony film were first documented here. (Note, this does contain some adult content and crass language).
What's your favorite thing to cook?
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