From growing up in a blue collar family in one of the most dangerous areas in France to having a successful career as the head chef in a luxury hotel on the French Riviera at the age of 23, to teaching culinary arts at the University of British Columbia in Canada, my life is punctuated with stories that, even to me, sound somewhat incredible. Along this path, I have been inspired by people around me who have contributed to my journey and shaped me into who I am today. This first book of my series, Child to Chef Recipe Memoir, is about my grandmother Augusta, who was instrumental to my decision of becoming a chef and also about my discovery that food makes people happy. With A Gourmand in Training, if I can inspire young adults to overcome their own challenges and live their dreams, I will consider this book a great achievement.