Out of the Frying Pan: A Chef’s Memoir of Hot Kitchens, Single Motherhood, and the Family Meal

At 32, Clark abandoned a career in marketing to enroll in culinary school and fulfill her dream of becoming a chef. A divorce from her alcoholic husband followed, and Clark, chopping carrots for minimum wage, was left to raise their two young daughters on her own. Repeatedly comparing being a chef to motherhood, she describes all of the young cooks she helped to train as her “children.” Reflecting Clark’s ongoing struggle to balance work and family, the book’s 40-plus recipes include her eldest daughter’s “Favorite Cornflake-Coated Pork Chops” and the “Pink Medicine Placebo” administered to her youngest after a greasy “Braised Cube Steak” caused her to slip off the monkey bars. Clark’s enthusiasm for drawing people to the table is engaging, but she prefers to make excuses for her high job turnover, including several firings. In 2000, she invested her savings in her own restaurant in Washington, D.C., in a neighborhood where cloth napkins stood out more than vagrants. After a rocky start, Colorado Kitchen now often has a line around the block, and Clark thrives on being her own boss. The emphasis on family adds a personal dimension to this memoir about both comfort food and commitment to success. (Oct.)