Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire

James Beard Award%E2%80%93winning chef Lynch, the owner of seven restaurants, has discussed BDSM with Julia Child and served mobsters such as Whitey Bulger in her native South Boston. This frank, no-holds-barred book tells these stories and much more, including Lynch's hardscrabble childhood with her substance-abusing sister and distant single mother as well as her stint in rehab for alcohol abuse. Throughout the narrative Lynch is blunt and frank, sparing not even the most gruesome details about her own childhood abduction and rape. But the broad strokes of Lynch's life are as fascinating as they are unique, and this memoir also details her role in changing the abusive, misogynistic world of fine cooking and her idiosyncratic approach to queer identity and marriage. Complete with 10 pages of recipes, this book is well worth any foodie's attention. (Apr.)