From Grandma's Kitchen to Working the Line. A book from Chef Frederic Castan.

Wine Talks with Paul K.

In his new book "Facing the Heat; From my grand mother's kitchen to cooking on the line." Chef Castan has peeks around just about every corner of the chef business. After all, he has worked for some of what would be considered the best restaurants in France to being head Chef at one of the largest hotel chains in America and just about everything in between; including but not limited to an absolute failure with his mexican restaurant in Nice, France.

This path is hard and the difficulty for Frederic is no exception. His story stirs all kinds of emotions and demonstrates some of the best of human traits.

On a flight, he was engaged in conversation with a young man (who did not know the vocation of whom he was talking to) who answered the proverbial question "What do you want to do with yourself?" with the unexpected answer, "I want to be a Chef!" ...and the immediate follow-up comment was "I want to have my own TV show, I watch a lot of Food Network" The conversation that followed could be tantamount to a slap in the face by Chef. I don't think Hollywood could have written the ensuing inquisition as Chef pontificated his position.

Cooking is hard; there is no one there to pat you on the back, only someone to yell at you, there is no one there to hold you up as the fatigue grows, only your aching muscles to strain and there is no one there to get you out of bed the next morning to do it all over again. Chef tells it like it is in "Facing the Heat, from my grand mother's kitchen to working the Line."

Hear from Chef Frederic Castan.