Nine Lives : A Chef's Journey from Chaos to Control

by Baltzley, Brandon

• ISBN13: 9781592407910
• ISBN10: 1592407919
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-05-02
• Publisher: Gotham

Summary

A rising young chef lays bare his gripping story of culinary triumphs, consuming drug additions, and his continuing quest to stay on top while staying sober At twenty-six years old, Brandon Baltzley was poised for his star turn as the opening chef at Chicago's hotspot Tribute. People called him a prodigy-the Salvador Dali of cooking-and foodie blogs followed his every move. Instead, Brandon walked away from it all and entered rehab to deal with the alcohol and cocaine addiction that had enslaved him most of his adult life. Brandon grew up in the South with no father and an addict mother. At eight, he was prepping vegetables in the back of a gay bar. From there, he went on to deep-frying with Paula Deen to cooking in an array of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Grant Achatz's world-renowned Alinea. In between, he was touring the country with his heavy metal band, Kylesa-and doing his first stint in rehab. Like Gabrielle Hamilton's Blood, Butter and Bones, Brandon's Nine Livesis about blazing a way out from a rough childhood through talent and an unbridled passion for the craft of cooking. A story that's still being written as Brandon begins work at Crux Restaurant in Chicago, Nine Livesserves up a raw and riveting memoir about food, rock-and-roll, and redemption.

Author Biography

Brandon Baltzley is a recovering addict, which is not something to be proud of, but something to build on. An eternal nomad, he has spent time in Chicago, Maine, and Pittsburgh.