Books, Boots and Bakeries

There are two types of people in this world: those who can cook, and those who love food but struggle to make toast without burning it. I fall into the latter category. So, in an attempt to break my reading slump, I thought I’d shake things up with The Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White—a book that promised fire, fury, and finesse from the original ‘bad-boy chef’ himself.

Did it help my reading rut? Sort of. Did it make me want to pick up a pan and actually cook something? Absolutely not.

Marco Pierre White is a name that looms large in the culinary world, and if you’ve ever watched an episode of Hell’s Kitchen, you’ve heard Gordon Ramsay mention him in hushed, reverential tones. This memoir captures White’s meteoric rise from working-class Leeds to becoming the first British chef to earn three Michelin stars. It’s brash, intense, and laced with as much adrenaline as you’d expect from someone who reportedly once made a young Ramsay cry. (Though paraprasing MPW – “Gordon made himself cry”!)

The book reads like a fever dream of kitchen chaos, full of brilliant moments of craftsmanship and unfiltered glimpses into a world I will never be a part of. White’s writing is sharp, direct, and occasionally poetic, with just enough self-reflection to keep it from being pure ego. It’s not a traditional ‘foodie’ book—it’s more rock and roll than recipe book, more war story than warm nostalgia.

As someone who loves good food but can barely make instant noodles without supervision, I found myself enthralled by the sheer artistry and pressure of the professional kitchen. That said, The Devil in the Kitchen didn’t quite reignite my reading spark. It’s compelling, but it’s also a bit relentless—much like the man himself seems to be. If you’re in a reading slump and looking for something easy to breeze through, this might not be it. But if you want to feel like you’ve been thrown into a kitchen with a mad genius for a few hours, it’s an experience worth having.

Final thoughts? White may be a legend, but I still won’t be attempting a beurre blanc anytime soon. Maybe I’ll just watch MasterChef, or better yet, The Great British Bake Off.