Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story Remaking a Life from Scratch

Synopsis: A girl is born and raised in Freedom Maine, population ~ 750, and described as “the middle of nowhere.” She learns to cook in her father’s diner, and later opens a small restaurant called The Lost Kitchen. The restaurant quickly achieves national, if not global fame. Who is Erin French, and how did this happen? Like most life stories, this was a journey with a few left turns, ups, downs, and ups again. Ms. French tells a candid story of her personal struggles, and rising above them to pursue her dream of The Lost Kitchen.

Review: I started this book with some trepidation. Full disclosure, I have never eaten at The Lost Kitchen. The only way to get a reservation (supposedly) is to mail in a postcard with your contact information. Your postcard is then mixed into the other 20,000 postcards received and some drawn randomly (again, supposedly) for the privilege of getting a table in the 40 seat restaurant that is only open seasonally in Maine. Has she never heard of Open Table? For this reason, I came to the book with some annoyance with Erin French and her pretentious reservation system. I wasn’t sure I was going to be an objective reader. I knew nothing about Erin French as a person, nor about her life story. An unplanned pregnancy, a poor choice in marriage, a stint in rehab for prescription drugs and alcohol—definitely some drama and good material for a memoir! The writing was beautiful and evocative, raw and intimate. Erin, I still hate your reservation system, but the writing was excellent. I wanted to know more about how exactly her little restaurant in tiny Freedom Maine caught fire and found international acclaim, and that wasn’t really addressed. She had an axe to grind with her ex, her father, and even her sister, and I wonder if those relationships were more nuanced than she describes. Still, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Naturally I had to try something from The Lost Kitchen cookbook! These mussels make a great appetizer, and are simple and elegant.

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned

4 stalks rosemary

one small handful fresh lavendar

one stick of unsalted butter

2 limes, halved

1) Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat

2) Add the mussels in a single layer, sprinkling the lavender and rosemary over top, heating 2-3 minutes until they start to open.

3) Add the butter to the pan, shaking the mussels as the butter sizzles and creates a broth. cook 2-3 more minutes until the mussels are completely done.

4) Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the mussels

5) Serve with good crusty bread for dipping.