Top Chef host Kristen Kish will tell the story of her life and career in a new memoir.
Little, Brown will publish Kish’s Accidentally on Purpose next year, the press announced in a news release, calling the book “profoundly moving and beautifully written.”
Kish, a native of South Korea, was adopted as a baby by a Michigan couple and educated at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago. In 2012, she competed on Top Chef and was named the winner of the season. Last year, she was named the new host of the series after its previous host, Padma Lakshmi, left the show.
“In Accidentally on Purpose, what defines Kristen’s story aren’t the missteps or even the pleasant surprises that crop up,” Little, Brown says. “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.”
Kish announced her book on Instagram, writing, “Stories, celebration, lessons learned, moments of challenge in kitchens and life in general. Things I’m nervous about sharing, things I haven’t shared out loud. A great deal of reflection writing this book and a huge helping of care, forgiveness, love & growth.”
Accidentally on Purpose is scheduled for publication on April 22, 2025.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
