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Accidentally on purpose : a memoir  Cover Image Book Book

Accidentally on purpose : a memoir / Kristen Kish with Stef Ferrari.

Kish, Kristen, 1983- (author.). Ferrari, Stef, (author.).

Summary:

"Kristen Kish never set out to live a public life -- not when she was a carefree softball-tossing kid, not in high school working at a pretzel stand, not even, briefly, as a working model. And definitely not when she finally landed her true calling as a chef. But in those early days, becoming a chef meant tethering oneself to a restaurant, not a television set. But it happened naturally (or as naturally as possible, given all the technology and TV magic involved), even if it was totally unanticipated. Of course, like most things in life, the road to this full circle moment -- from Top Chef season 10 winner to now hosting -- was so much more winding and complicated than it may have appeared from the outside. From growing up as an adoptee in the Midwest, to trying to fit in with all the other girls who were busy dating boys, to coming out and finding love when she least expected it, Kristen learned that, unlike a map, no set of plans or definitions can dictate or explain a life. In fact, accidents happen. That curveballs will come. And they will often be consequential to one's path. In Accidentally on Purpose, what defines Kristen's story aren't the missteps or even the pleasant surprises that crop up. It's how to respond when they do, and the decisions made at those intersections. Because while accidents may be unexpected, they don't have to be at odds with purpose. And as Kristen approaches life's milestones, big and small, with intention -- the ones she expected, and those she didn't -- she realizes she can write her own definitions and chart her own course"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780316580915 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: 340 pages ; 25 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2025.
Subject: Kish, Kristen, 1983-
Korean American adoptees > Biography.
Lesbians > United States > Biography.
Women cooks > United States > Biography.
Genre: Biographies.
Autobiographies.
Personal narratives.

Available copies

  • 0 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Lakeshore Branch 641.5092 Kish 31681010415859 NONFIC Checked out 06/20/2025

  • Baker & Taylor
    "In Accidentally on Purpose, what defines Kristen's story aren't the missteps or even the pleasant surprises that crop up but how she learned to find her voice and use it. Because while accidents may be unexpected, they don't have to be at odds with purpose. And as Kristen approaches life's milestones, big and small, with intention, she realizes at those junctures--the ones beyond the borders of the map, behind-the-scenes, and off camera--are where the decisions and discoveries are made. Where the unexpected meets the intentional. And that's where things get really interesting"--
  • Grand Central Pub
    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER | TIME's Most Anticipated Books of 2025 | New York Post's 30 Best Books for Spring | Amazon's Best Books of the Month | BookRiot's Best Books of April | Queerty's Spring 2025 LGBTQ+ Books | Town & Country's Must-Read Books of Spring 2025

    From chef and Emmy-nominated host of Top Chef comes a tender, clear-eyed memoir charting a journey full of purpose, belonging, and real love—a “recipe for a life worth living” (Stacy London).

    Kristen Kish never could have imagined people on the street knowing her name—not when she was a carefree softball-tossing kid, in high school working at a pretzel stand, and not even when she finally found her true calling as a chef. In those early days, becoming a chef meant tethering oneself to a restaurant and working in the back of a kitchen, not a television set. But working in the spotlight happened naturally, even if the attention was totally unanticipated.  And like most things in Kristen’s life, the road was so much more winding and complicated than it may have appeared from the outside.

    From growing up as an adoptee in the Midwest, to trying to fit in with all the other girls who were busy dating boys, winning Top Chef to becoming its Emmy-nominated host years later, or even coming out and finding love when she least expected it, Kristen learned that, unlike a map, no set of plans or definitions can dictate or explain a life. 

    In Accidentally on Purpose, what defines Kristen’s story aren’t the missteps or even the pleasant surprises that crop up but how she learned to find her voice and use it. Curveballs will come. Accidents happen. And for Kristen, when she digs deep, that's when things get really interesting.


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