About the Author

Erin French is the owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen, a 40-seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine, that was recently named one of the World's Greatest Places by TIME Magazine. Booking is by postcard ballot on the first day of spring with over 20,000 postcards received last season. Erin French has written for The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living and The Wall Street Journal. Her first book, The Lost Kitchen Cookbook, was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award and named one of the best 2017 cookbooks by The Washington Post and Vogue. Erin French will host The Lost Kitchen TV show on Joanna and Chip Gaines' new television network, the Magnolia Network, launching in March 2021.

Reviews

‘A master chef and owner of the destination restaurant The Lost Kitchen, in Freedom, Maine, French overcame addiction and grueling hardship on her way to success. Her memoir tells all.’

 
*New York Times*

"Readers will root for French and will be fascinated by her efforts at survival, redemption, and rejuvenation. Notably heavier on insight and lighter on hubris than the average chef memoir, this will speak to both the brokenhearted and those with kitchen dreams of their own."

 
*Publishers Weekly*

“It is a terrific book. I couldn’t put it down... Finding Freedom in the Lost Kitchen is a page-turning, tear-provoking recollection of a life that was anything but perfect…Talk about a story of resilience…Erin French is a life force, a magnet and a mirror for others.”

 
*HARRY SMITH, NBC Today Show*

‘Finding Freedom in the Lost Kitchen is a tale of hard knocks, second chances and a feverish passion for unfancy, joy-inducing food…[It] is part of a publishing trend — from Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential to Victoria James’s Wine Girl — that reveals the complex characters who make up the restaurant industry.’
*SUNDAY TIMES STYLE*

‘What impresses me most about this book is Erin French’s evocative writing about food. She describes it so well you can taste it.” 
*Wall Street Journal*

"Think “Wild” with whisks and buttery mashed potatoes instead of hiking boots and breathtaking views."
*New York Times Book Review*

“This is the most unexpected and glorious food memoir you could ever read. Chef Erin French founded the restaurant Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, where it became one of the most acclaimed (and hardest to book) spots in the food world. However, behind French’s success is a tale of a fractured family, a childhood spent working (and observing) in her father’s diner, prescription drugs, an abusive marriage and fighting back from the brink. You will gobble it up.”
*Stylist Magazine*