The fascinating diner-to-Ducasse true story of a young New
Yorker's meteoric rise from his grandfather's Greek diner in
Queens to the kitchens of some of the world's greatest
restaurants.
Meet the man Alain Ducasse called
“the best cook in my kitchen”—Doug Psaltis, a culinary
Horatio Alger, whose stubborn passion for perfection and
dogged idealism propelled him from humble beginnings to the
pinnacle of the food world. Doug began working at his
grandfather's diner in Jamaica, Queens, when he was just ten
years old—barely big enough to haul a sack of potatoes. His
next real restaurant job, following a brief stint in college
and some time spent in Colorado kitchens, was in Huntington,
Long Island, his hometown. Drivingly ambitious and
hardworking, he would travel into Manhattan on his days off
to work, often for twelve hours or more without pay, in some
of New York’s premiere restaurants.
He eventually
was offered a regular job at David Bouley's new restaurant,
Bouley Bakery, where he worked six days a week with double
shifts at one of New York’s hottest and most acclaimed
restaurants, often leaving the house before dawn and
returning home to grab a couple of hours of sleep before
taking the train back into the city. From there he went to
Alain Ducasse New York, which eventually won four stars from
the New York Times. Doug caught Ducasse's eye and was
selected as the first American chef in the Ducasse empire
and the chef to lead the next Ducasse restaurant in New
York, Mix. Running the kitchen of Mix was both a dream job
and a formidable challenge. Doug guided the restaurant
through many crises in the face of mounting pressure and
tension from all sides—before an explosive conclusion. After
leaving Mix, Doug was offered a job working for Thomas
Keller at the French Laundry, arguably America's restaurant
mecca, where he helped lead the kitchen with Keller. Today,
just past thirty, he is starting a whole new chapter in a
remarkable career—a seasoned chef at last.
Filled
with rampant egos, cutthroat kitchen politics, and settings
ranging from Monte Carlo to Paris and Napa Valley, The
Seasoning of a Chef is a real and rare glimpse into the
food industry. More than anyone until now, Doug Psaltis
reveals vividly and honestly the hardships, sacrifices, and
dreams of glory that are all part of becoming a great chef.
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