CRESCENT Books: Acclaimed Chef John Malik Trades His Kitchen for a Keyboard

One of the Upstate’s best known chefs recently made an about face. After three years as the executive chef of a busy retirement community, he now has a new title — published novelist.

Many know Chef John Malik from 33 Liberty, the restaurant he owned with his wife Amy until 2008. Now, the 2008 James Beard semifinalist for “Best Chef in the Southeast” has a new novel, Doughnuts for Amy, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Doughnuts for Amy is a love story set in Woodmont, a fictional retirement community on the north side of Greenville County.

Nick St. Germaine, Woodmont’s executive chef is struggling emotionally as he approaches the second anniversary of his wife’s death.  Nick takes solace in early morning workouts at his gym and buries himself in Woodmont’s kitchen.

Beset by nightmares and challenged by his high school senior son to move forward one day at a time, Nick feels as if he is doing that but just barely.

Things change when the divorced Amy Sommers becomes the new director of Woodmont.  Amy comes close to showing Nick the door her first day on the job but eventually…well the rest is available for your Kindle or Nook e-reader.

Doughnuts for Amy is full of great characters, great food scenes, love, emotion and of course a delicious scene in which Chef Nick makes doughnuts for…well, you get the picture.

Although the novel is fictional, it does take place in Greenville, and several of John’s favorite restaurants make appearances.

Doughnuts for Amy on Amazon * Doughnuts for Amy on Barnes & Noble * Doughnuts for Amy on Facebook * John Malik on Twitter

You can also see Chef John Malik at Nose Dive in Greenville on February 6 and  Solstice Kitchen in Columbia on March 6.