Book review: In conversation with…

If you’ve ever wondered who Ferran Adria’s dream dinner party companions would be, what ingredient The Sportsman chef Stephen Harris would like to reincarnated as, which top chef would happily swap his whites to become a rally driver, or which wine bar owner speaks six different languages then Alfred Moisan’s book In conversation with​ is the one for you.

If you haven’t heard of Moisan then you won’t be alone. The 12 year-old decided to combine his passion for cooking with raising money for charity during lockdown and with the help of his father Jerome came up with the idea of putting a set of questions to as many high-profile people in the food and drink sector as possible. The resulting book, In conversation with…,​ is impressive featuring 70 interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers and mixologists from across the world, with names such as Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert, Sandrine Garbay of Chateau d’Yquem, Slovenian chef Ana Ros, and Virgilio Martinez featuring.

Moisan has kept things simple with a set of questions designed to eek out anecdotes and wisdom from his interviewees, ranging from the serious - what their most memorable meal has been, the best advice they’ve been given – to the more whimsical that only a 12 year-old would come up - if you could have one superpower, what would it be?, what is the biggest myth about famous chefs/restaurants?, If you were to die and come back as an ingredient, what would it be? Interspersed between these interviews are more quick-fire multiple-choice questions that are fewer but no less revealing – music or silence?, digestif or aperitif?

The result is a very enjoyable and enlightening read that often provides a very personal – and sometimes surprising - insight into some of the biggest names in food and drink.

In conversation with…​ might lack the photography and aesthetic finesse that one might expect when dealing with such high-profile names - which is not surprising given how it was put together during lockdown - but it more than makes up for it in spirit and in the gentle but often surprising revelations that it contains.

For every sale of the book, 100% of profits go to FareShare, the UK’s largest charity fighting hunger and tackling food waste. If that alone wasn’t a good enough reason to buy it, then surely to find out which top chef would like to come back as yoghurt will be.

In conversation with… Wisdom from the world’s greatest chefs, winemakers and hospitality masters​
Author: Alfred Moisan​
Number of pages: 205​
Price: £9.99​
Available on Amazon: https://lnkd.in/edigjHx​​