I was very nicely fired by a 5-star restaurant

[GreatGazoo]

23. That's an interesting idea -- cookbook + resto stories !

The best stories are the ones I can't tell in a semi public forum. For example, I have cooked next to guys who were waiting to go to prison (because the prisons were full and they were nonviolent offenders). At one place the owner hired his drug dealer because that guy needed to show the IRS some legit income. The guy dealt exotics to LA celebs. Stuff I never saw before or since -- black Napalese temple hash, "elephant ear". He had a copy of the Talking Head "Fear of Music" before it was released and he got our comments on the wilder mixes of "I Zimbra" and "Life During Wartime". Worked next to a circus performer recently -- a juggler. he was a great line cook. I have watched some of the TV shows set in restaurants but none of them are as interesting as the real thing where side characters are as interesting or more so than the principals.

I bought a vintage copy of Luchows cookbook and it starts with the story of how a european refugee became obsessed with that restaurant during WW2 and eventually bought it from the long time owners. Have thought about adapting that into a film script.

A lot of really good food is fairly simple to make. One thing a restaurant teaches you is how to be efficient with your time and ingredients and that translates well to home cooking. I recommend Tom Colicchio's excellent non-cookbook cookbook "Think Like A Chef". It includes some recipes but the core is all about elevating ingredients and leveraging classic combinations. It is $5 on ebay

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=think+like+a+chef&_sacat=0