Author Spotlight: Kip Meyerhoff

Kip Meyerhoff learned how to cook from his father, a New York City gangster who got his formal training in culinary arts while doing a stretch in prison. His dad taught him the axioms of cooking: a little sugar can go a long way; bitterness can spoil your appetite for life; tarts are not always a just dessert; heat can reduce heat; and hot is not always hot. Kip wanted to learn more, so his father turned him over to a succession of hotel chefs. Soon he was searing and broiling, baking and boiling, sautéing and flambéing, roasting and toasting. He looks back at his incredible adventures cooking in Brooklyn, Hollywood, the Florida Keys, and just about everywhere else in this memoir about the flavors of life. Along the way, he shares tasty recipes such as the King’s Sandwich (a grilled peanut-butter-and-banana goodie that was Elvis Presley’s favorite), the Dixie Whistler’s Fried Chicken, Garlicky White Pizza Sauce, Perfect Boiled Eggs, and many other dishes. Join Kip as he travels the world without a map—cooking pasta for wise guys, making a Christmas breakfast for working girls in Seoul, and winding up as a restaurateur in southern Indiana.