Dubbed the rock ‘n’ roll chef by Rolling Stone Magazine, Kerry Simon was an aspiring musician before he fell in love with cooking. In his late teens, the Chicago native worked at Little Caesars Pizza to save money for an electric guitar. The summer job sparked Simon’s interest in food and late night recipe testing from Julia Child’s cookbook—but his love for rock ‘n’ roll never dwindled.

After a mentorship under Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Lafayette Restaurant, Simon was appointed executive chef of The Plaza Hotel’s Edwardian Room, the youngest chef to hold that title. The restaurant quickly became one of the city’s hot spots, and celebrities such as David Bowie, Matt Dillon, Diane Keaton, Debbie Harry, and INXS clamored for reservations at the private chef’s table. His relationships with these celebrities of rock and the silver screen would become lifelong friendships, but his signature approach to American comfort food would continue to evolve into a style all his own and become the staple of his many restaurants across the US.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Chef: The Kerry Simon Cookbook wonderfully chronicles Simon’s love for life, music, and food, and offers culinary novices and experts alike the tools to cook Simon’s favorites, from the perfect hamburger and homemade pizzas, to wok charred edamame and yellowtail carpaccio. Along the way, readers will encounter anecdotes and contributions from the musicians, actors, and celebrity chefs that Simon has cooked for and dined with over the years, including Slash, Sammy Hagar, and Bill Murray. In fact, in Rock ‘n’ Roll Chef, you’ll discover not only what Bill Murray’s favorite dish is, but how to cook it.

A celebration of food and friendship, Rock ‘n’ Roll Chef is a must for anyone who shares Simon’s mantra of “eat, rock, repeat.”