Itamae: My Life in front of the Cutting Board

by Avi Sternberg, Mike Ambach (Photographer)

After a life-altering motorcycle accident in Walla Walla Washington, a chance encounter with a dancing Japanese chef draws Avi Sternberg to the ultra-traditional training of a Japanese Kaiseki chef in Northern Japan. Swimming through the knife racks of Japan's most prestigious cooking school and toughest restaurant kitchens for eight years, Avi faces cultural barriers,demanding mentors, and inner demons. Now living on the coast of Northern British Columbia, Avi holds true to the soul of his training while inventing new ways to serve up Japan's traditioinal dishes to a North American clientele." -- back cover.

169 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2013