Chef Interrupted: Discovering Life's Second Course in Ireland with Multiple Sclerosis - Softcover

Gleason, Trevis L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1603813012 ISBN 13: 9781603813013

Publisher: Coffeetown Press, 2015

Synopsis

When Trevis Gleason, a former chef at the top of his professional culinary career, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he lost everything--his job, his marriage, even his perceived persona. Surveying the ruins of his former life, he saw an opportunity to fulfill a long-postponed dream. He would travel from Seattle, Washington, to the wilds of west Kerry, Ireland for the winter. Renting a rustic cottage in "The Town," Trevis braved narrow, sheep-obstructed roads and antiquated heating systems to learn that his life, his loves (including cooking), and even his dreams weren't lost, just waiting to be rediscovered in this magical place. He acquired a charming puppy named Sadie, who grounded his days and served as a devoted companion as he surmounted inevitable physical setbacks and cultural challenges. All the while, he entertained a steady stream of visiting friends and relatives, including his former wife. The Town's colorful characters welcomed the American stranger as one of their own, and he soon found himself reveling in the beauty of the rugged countryside, the authentic joy of the holidays, the conviviality of the pubs, and the hearty flavor of the simple food. Recipes included.

About this title

Review:

"Chef Interrupted is, like all of Trevis' writings, instantly relatable, funny, smart, skeptical, hopeful, and always interesting."

--Rose Pike, Executive Editor, EverydayHealth.com.

"Trevis is one of those truly gifted community organizers. To be able to lead and organize a community you have to be able to have the ability to inspire and Trevis has this down to an art. I've seen him transform his pain into humor, humility and personal growth via his writings but perhaps even more impressive is his natural ability to relate and reach people. That means he has the gift to make you give a damn to the point you find yourself repeating his musings to others. That's a mark of a talented writer and community leader."

--Natalie Brown, Editor, Health Talk

Seattle chef Trevis L. Gleason was diagnosed with MS, and decided to travel while he could; journeying to Ireland where he rented an old cottage for a winter and reflected on his future. Chef Interrupted documents this journey and offers a lively memoir serving up a healthy dose of reality combined with insights on how new dreams may be constructed from trying moments in life.

When he left Seattle, Gleason believed everything had ended: his marriage, his career, and all he held dear. His experiences in Ireland would help him create a new life and values, and these are recounted in a fun story that peppers recipes into a memoir about this process.

While many a reader will pick up Chef Interrupted expecting some kind of culinary history or memoir, in fact it's much more: it's about survival and living with MS, and about envisioning and forming a new life. Through Gleason's eyes, more than Ireland comes to life - and more than cooking becomes the focus, making for a recommendation to travel and self-help readers as well as audiences with an interest in culinary memoirs.

--Publishers Weekly, April, 2015

"When I want to know what's really 'cooking' in the MS community, I log onto Trevis' blog. He has never failed to provide balanced, candid, thoughtful and even humorous insights into life with MS. His perspectives about the issues of the day - MS related and otherwise - always enlighten and inform me. The same is true for Chef Interrupted."

--Joyce Nelson, CEO emeritus, National Multiple Sclerosis Society

"Don't think of this book as a how-to-cope tome. Trevis Gleason's' Chef Interrupted is a wide entertainment and a joy to read. Certainly his prose abounds in Celtic wit and American audacity."

--Martha King, Editor, Momentum, the magazine of the National MS Society (USA)

About the Author:

Chef Trevis L. Gleason has been an award-winning culinarian, consultant, and instructor. A decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran and former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Goodwill Ambassador to Ukraine, Chef Trevis has been acknowledged with several awards for his Life With MS Blog. In 2012 he was ranked as the "#1 Online Influence" on the topic of multiple sclerosis and also named the Jimmie Heuga "MS Can Do Person of the Year." Retired from a distinguished culinary career, Gleason has taken on the challenges of living with secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis since his diagnosis in 2001. He is an ambassador for the National MS Society, an active volunteer for Multiple Sclerosis Ireland and the MS Society of the UK, and speaks to groups, both large and small, about living life fully with or without a chronic illness. Gleason divides his time between Seattle, Washington and County Kerry, Ireland with his wife, Caryn, and their two Irish Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, Sadie and Maggie. For more information, go to trevislgleason.com

About this edition

• Publisher: Coffeetown Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1603813012
• ISBN 13: 9781603813013
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 290