No Experience Necessary

November 11, 2013
In this rambunctious memoir, celebrity chef Van Aken (My Key West Kitchen) charts his unlikely path from smalltown Midwestern free spirit to ‘Fusion’ cuisine trailblazer. After a shaky, name-dropping intro, Van Aken narrates his bohemian wanderings at the end of the flower-power era, wanderings that led him to the melodious environs of Key West. As Van Aken struggles through one miserable blue-collar job after another—landscaper, hot-tar roofer—he determines that cooking is his least horrible option. From there, his sweaty rise to the apogee of his profession is both unlikely and appealing. In diffuse but vivid prose, Van Aken’s narrative speeds through restaurants, anecdotes, and oddball characters. Each chapter ends with a flourish: a recipe from a particular stage of his career. The strongest and most honest writing, by far, involves his earlier years as he struggles to master his craft. The latter third of the book blurs into anecdotes of gluttonous feasting and his restaurant openings (and closings). For legal reasons, perhaps, Van Aken skims over the financial problems and personality clashes that would have deepened his narrative. Nevertheless, the book contains much of the freedom and generosity of the era that created him. Van Aken has crafted an unlikely tale of a hippie kid who helped raise Margaritaville to a culinary destination.

October 15, 2013

Cookbook author, award-winning chef, and restaurant owner Van Aken (Feast of Sunlight; The Exotic Fruit Book) details his journey from Diamond Lake, IL, to Key West, FL, and back again in this entertaining memoir. He guides the reader through his early years as a cook and, later, a chef, in what feels like a conversation around the hot line on a slow night, with a bit of gin in a mug. (Don't end up wearing the sauce, though.) Van Aken's relaxed tone will draw in readers, and colorful language abounds (one memorable chapter is titled "Shit Happens"). He hilariously describes an intriguing cast of characters, including a sprinkling of celebrity chefs in their early years and the unusual figures that populated a wild Key West and even a not-so-wild Illinois. Each chapter concludes with a recipe (e.g., "Flame on Shish Kabob," "Bicycle Sammy's Potato Salad"). VERDICT Those who love food, food culture, South Florida, and biographies will enjoy this romp through the 1970s and 1980s as Van Aken evolves from entry-level cook to a famous chef, with many stops in between.--Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Oregon Inst. of Technology, Portland

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