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And as he explains it, I realize that what it’s about is things like exactly what I’m doing: Trying to make drama out of the life of a guy who just wants to make food. A guy who wanted the head-down kitchen life, the brotherhood of cooks, and found himself reading about his hair in magazines instead.
“I want to go and travel, do some stages in kitchens that are inspiring to me,” he explains when I ask what his plans are. “I want to go off the grid, reconnect with food. I want to work on a farm. I want to talk to chefs I respect and see how other people do things.”
I try to get across that I understand that. That it’s not personal drama; sometimes you find yourself looking at a career path that makes perfect sense . . . just not for you. But it’s morning and my questions are clumsy and everything I say comes out sounding like I’m still digging for dirt.
