Buzzfeed’s Isaac Fitzgerald Reveals Stories Behind Famous Chefs’ Tattoos | Press Releases

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (November 9, 2016) — Buzzfeed BookEditor Isaac Fitzgerald reveals the fascinating stories behind famous chefs’ most infamous tattoos during a discussion on his latest book, Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos (with Recipes) , at Fairfield University’s DiMenna-Nyselius Library on Friday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m . The event is free and open to the public and part of the University’s Inspired Writer Series presented by the MFA in Creative Writing program with support from the Humanities Institute of the College of Arts and Science and the Department of English.

From gritty grill cooks in backwoods diners to executive chefs at the world's most popular restaurants, Knives & Ink profiles 65 chefs from every kind of kitchen and details the cheeky and poignant tales behind their body art. Like the delicious dishes they have crafted over the years, each chef’s tattoo is a beautiful work of art that oftentimes shares an equally beautiful backstory. Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food honors his mother’s memory with a pair of fiery angel wings on his forearm, while Kate Romane, owner and chef at E2 Restaurant in Pittsburg, proudly sports a tattoo of the Library of Congress call number for The Joy of Cooking . Toro Bravo's John Gorham, Alaska-fishing-boat cook Mandy Lamb and 2014 James Beard Award-winner Jamie Bissonnette are also among the wide range of chefs that dish on the delicious inspiration behind their ink.

Deemed one of Entertainment Weekly ’s “must-read books for the fall,” Fitzgerald’s latest project, not only offers readers a glimpse into the minds of some of the world’s favorite chefs, but features beautiful, full-color illustrations by Wendy MacNaighton that bring new life to each of the profile’s featured tattoo. The book also features recipes contributed by a handful of chefs that range from simple seasonal rubs to gourmet dishes best left to the pros.

No stranger to tattoos, Fitzgerald not only sports some ink of his own, but has also penned another book on the subject entitled Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them ,which focuses on the ink of writers and rockers like Cheryl Strayed, Five Finger Death Punch, Roxane Gay and Korn. In addition to being an author, Fitzgerald has served as Buzzfeed ’s book editor since 2013, a role that followed a stint as the managing editor of The Rumpus , an online literary publication that he also co-owns. His writing has also appeared in the Bold Italic , McSweeney’s , Mother Jones and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.