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Accidentally on Purpose: A Memoir
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER | TIME's Most Anticipated Books of 2025 | New York Post's 30 Best Books for Spring | Amazon's Best Books of the Month | BookRiot's Best Books of April | Queerty's Spring 2025 LGBTQ+ Books | Town & Country's Must-Read Books of Spring 2025
From chef and Emmy-nominated host of Top Chef comes a tender, clear-eyed memoir charting a journey full of purpose, belonging, and real love—a “recipe for a life worth living” (Stacy London). Kristen Kish never could have imagined people on the street knowing her name—not when she was a carefree softball-tossing kid, in high school working at a pretzel stand, and not even when she finally found her true calling as a chef. In those early days, becoming a chef meant tethering oneself to a restaurant and working in the back of a kitchen, not a television set. But working in the spotlight happened naturally, even if the attention was totally unanticipated. And like most things in Kristen’s life, the road was so much more winding and complicated than it may have appeared from the outside. From growing up as an adoptee in the Midwest, to trying to fit in with all the other girls who were busy dating boys, winning Top Chef to becoming its Emmy-nominated host years later, or even coming out and finding love when she least expected it, Kristen learned that, unlike a map, no set of plans or definitions can dictate or explain a life. In Accidentally on Purpose, what defines Kristen’s story aren’t the missteps or even the pleasant surprises that crop up but how she learned to find her voice and use it. Curveballs will come. Accidents happen. And for Kristen, when she digs deep, that's when things get really interesting.
From chef and Emmy-nominated host of Top Chef comes a tender, clear-eyed memoir charting a journey full of purpose, belonging, and real love—a “recipe for a life worth living” (Stacy London). Kristen Kish never could have imagined people on the street knowing her name—not when she was a carefree softball-tossing kid, in high school working at a pretzel stand, and not even when she finally found her true calling as a chef. In those early days, becoming a chef meant tethering oneself to a restaurant and working in the back of a kitchen, not a television set. But working in the spotlight happened naturally, even if the attention was totally unanticipated. And like most things in Kristen’s life, the road was so much more winding and complicated than it may have appeared from the outside. From growing up as an adoptee in the Midwest, to trying to fit in with all the other girls who were busy dating boys, winning Top Chef to becoming its Emmy-nominated host years later, or even coming out and finding love when she least expected it, Kristen learned that, unlike a map, no set of plans or definitions can dictate or explain a life. In Accidentally on Purpose, what defines Kristen’s story aren’t the missteps or even the pleasant surprises that crop up but how she learned to find her voice and use it. Curveballs will come. Accidents happen. And for Kristen, when she digs deep, that's when things get really interesting.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 22, 2025
436 people are currently reading
8523 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 607 reviews
May 21, 2025
Full disclosure: I have never watched an episode of Top Chef so I had no idea that is what originally made Kristen Kish famous, but she’s one hundred percent one of my celebrity crushes and also, I wish I my style were like one billionth as cool as hers . . . .
But alas, I was cursed with bad hair, a giant round moon face and bat wing arms, so I will not be rocking her do or her tattoos anytime soon.
By now you know I listen to audiobooks to get me through my daily trudges and the more I pound the pavement, the more it generally translates to a higher rating. Unfortunately, this one was my lunch hour 3.5 miles and I really didn’t look forward to logging additional steps after work. I mean, it was perfectly fine, but there just wasn’t a whole lot there. In a world of chefs being notably nutso in the kitchen at best and notorious sexual deviants at worst, part of the problem is that Kish just comes off so nice and normal. And that doesn’t make for a real titillating read/listen. Her late coming out was interesting, but even that was not because of an unsupportive family, but simply because she wasn’t ready. As was the relatability of her anxiety . . . but again, it was a “normal” (for lack of a better term) sort of anxiety that probably most all of us suffer and not some crippling variety. Even her path to fame seemed to be created for her as a second chance winner who was then fast-tracked to stardom. Bottom line, this was pleasant, just like Kish herself seems to be.
(And if you haven’t watched Fast Foodies, but are a fatty at heart, it’s well worth the time.)
But alas, I was cursed with bad hair, a giant round moon face and bat wing arms, so I will not be rocking her do or her tattoos anytime soon.
By now you know I listen to audiobooks to get me through my daily trudges and the more I pound the pavement, the more it generally translates to a higher rating. Unfortunately, this one was my lunch hour 3.5 miles and I really didn’t look forward to logging additional steps after work. I mean, it was perfectly fine, but there just wasn’t a whole lot there. In a world of chefs being notably nutso in the kitchen at best and notorious sexual deviants at worst, part of the problem is that Kish just comes off so nice and normal. And that doesn’t make for a real titillating read/listen. Her late coming out was interesting, but even that was not because of an unsupportive family, but simply because she wasn’t ready. As was the relatability of her anxiety . . . but again, it was a “normal” (for lack of a better term) sort of anxiety that probably most all of us suffer and not some crippling variety. Even her path to fame seemed to be created for her as a second chance winner who was then fast-tracked to stardom. Bottom line, this was pleasant, just like Kish herself seems to be.
(And if you haven’t watched Fast Foodies, but are a fatty at heart, it’s well worth the time.)
July 17, 2025
Just when I didn't think it was possible for me to love her more, I listened to her audiobook. I absolutely loved listening to her tell her life story in her words, and laughed and cried applicably. As a huge Top Chef obsessee (I've binged all seasons 3 times now!), it was a lot of fun to have a peek behind the scenes on how it all works. I've also always loved her and Stephanie's friendship, and love that they are both still working together in the Top Chef world. I think my favorite part of the book was when Kristen talked about marrying her wife, Bianca. Her sniffles as she read such emotionally charged memories were completely adorable and heartwarming, and I wish them all the happiness in the world as a couple.
May 2, 2025
It was good but once I put it down I had a hard time picking it back up.
June 12, 2025
I mean no disrespect to Kristen Kish when I write this, I am genuinely glad she found herself. But the book is really slow and sometimes loses focus.
It reads like the longest award acceptance speech ever and by the end I was more happy to be done than I was when I was when reading.
I would like to emphasise that I do not diminish her accomplishments and I am happy that she did (by accident or not) find her path.
It reads like the longest award acceptance speech ever and by the end I was more happy to be done than I was when I was when reading.
I would like to emphasise that I do not diminish her accomplishments and I am happy that she did (by accident or not) find her path.
May 2, 2025
As a huge Top Chef and Kristen fan, this was such a great behind the scenes look into the projects she’s done and her life overall.
This was my first audio book and I couldn’t recommend it more. You heard the emotion in Kristen’s voice throughout.
This was my first audio book and I couldn’t recommend it more. You heard the emotion in Kristen’s voice throughout.
May 22, 2025
ANHPI Heritage Month 2025 #14
June 3, 2025
I would really only recommend this book to fans of top chef/kristen. Really no deep lesson and despite having interesting aspects to her life- in my POV she didn’t deep dive into any of them. She is a Korean American adoptee, lesbian, female chef, and tv personality, but she seemed to gloss over anything that was really hard about her experiences. I hate to rate someone’s life but hers has been pretty cool and while she’s definitely faced challenges and obstacles, she takes a “everything has worked out just right!” approach across the entire memoir.
That being said I’m still a top chef super fan!!!!!
That being said I’m still a top chef super fan!!!!!
May 13, 2025
Kristen will always be my favorite since she came back to win her season and I enjoyed learning more about her path to becoming host. Definitely lacked some depth and even the emotional parts felt surface level at times which feels like it comes from still being in the industry and being a relatively private celebrity. (Short version - not enough TC tea for my liking)
May 19, 2025
Disappointing. The book was full of platitudes and therefore lacked depth. She was so private and unforthcoming at times I wondered why she agreed to write a memoir at all.
She doesn’t seem to have any passion for food, which is odd. She didn’t cook growing up. She went to culinary school because she didn’t know what she wanted to do and it provided “order”. She focused on the work environment when recalling her various cooking jobs. When she finally opened her own restaurant she talked about the buildout and how they picked the dishes! I have no idea what is her culinary point of view! She can clearly cook. She was really good on Top Chef. This lowered my impression of her.
Throughout the book Kish was guarded to protect her interiority. Instead she exposed the great empty void inside of her.
She doesn’t seem to have any passion for food, which is odd. She didn’t cook growing up. She went to culinary school because she didn’t know what she wanted to do and it provided “order”. She focused on the work environment when recalling her various cooking jobs. When she finally opened her own restaurant she talked about the buildout and how they picked the dishes! I have no idea what is her culinary point of view! She can clearly cook. She was really good on Top Chef. This lowered my impression of her.
Throughout the book Kish was guarded to protect her interiority. Instead she exposed the great empty void inside of her.
May 15, 2025
kristen kish broke through so many boundaries as a queer asian woman chef. it was really inthralling to read her story and hear all of the hardships and self doubt she went through between all of her accomplishments. i think what struck me most was how clearly devoted she is to her family. every time she wrote about her parents or her wife it was evident how much she loves them.
i listened to the majority of the book (before i ran out of audiobook minutes on spotify and had to wait for my library copy to arrive) and it was fun to have her narrate!
i listened to the majority of the book (before i ran out of audiobook minutes on spotify and had to wait for my library copy to arrive) and it was fun to have her narrate!
June 20, 2025
I love Top Chef and Kristen as host of the show, but this memoir fell flat for me. I’m overall glad that I read it and learned more about her life, but it felt very surface level and never went deep, with some cheesy/predictable wordplay and analogies. I wish there’d been more reflection on restaurant work and more about her time competing on Top Chef. I also found the structure of the memoir a little confusing. It often jumped back a couple years in time to revisit an event that we’d already passed in more detail.
October 12, 2025
i’ve watched most seasons of top chef, including kristen’s season, as well as the recent ones with her as host but wouldn’t say i feel anything more than neutral towards her.
i enjoyed this memoir and the fact that she spoke pretty openly re: her challenges with anxiety and coming out, weaving those themes into the story seamlessly. despite those things and being adopted, there wasn’t a ton of tension in the book. i didn’t personally mind this but could see how some readers might.
3.75 stars.
i enjoyed this memoir and the fact that she spoke pretty openly re: her challenges with anxiety and coming out, weaving those themes into the story seamlessly. despite those things and being adopted, there wasn’t a ton of tension in the book. i didn’t personally mind this but could see how some readers might.
3.75 stars.
May 28, 2025
I’m a Top Chef super fan and have been since season 3. I also grew up adjacent to Kristen in Kentwood (it’s a huge school system and our paths didn’t really cross, but I knew of her) and have loosely followed her career since seeing her on Season 10 of Top Chef. What this book is: an eloquently written memoir about finding yourself and becoming your most authentic self. She explores her process of coming out, becoming a chef, leader, and television personality, and finding her place as an Asian adoptee. I enjoyed it overall. It was a bit surreal reading the beginning chapters given I knew most of the references. I enjoyed reading about her time leading into Top Chef and following it. What this book isn’t: if you’re looking for a hardscrabble story or a bunch of Top Chef gossip, this isn’t it. Kristen mentions often she was raised in a loving, happy home and her parents are very supportive. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a story to tell. She’s also very professional, and while she does give some info on the Top Chef casting process, there’s nothing “juicy” about it. Overall I enjoyed it and I wish Kristen the best.
August 6, 2025
Oh, Kristin… I still love you from Top Chef, but this book is soooo cringe. Yet somehow still boring! It’s the book version of a reduced-to-clear “live love laugh” sign from Marshall’s. It’s like she copy/pasted the corporate jargon from ten thousand websites and called it a book. When not describing corporations or brands with their own copy (“The New York Times column “36 hours” is for readers who want the highlights”) it’s just one platitude or generalisation after another. This is an actual quote when talking about being on TV: “There were expectations—let’s call them guidelines—for how I was to act on camera”. I’d give more examples but it’s pointless because 98% of the book is like this. There is basically no sense of personality (except that she’s a crier, which we knew from TC, but it’s pretty cringe to hear someone sniffle their way through their own—supposedly—writing about their love for someone). She definitely cares about representation & is now out & proud but the book reads like it’s written for/to straight people. She’s soooo normie. Ok, so she’s had a nice life, and that’s boring to read about, and good for her, but I feel like it could still have been made a BIT more interesting if she’d actually given any specific details or stories. She even says, “the details could fill a few pages” but then summarises the situation with platitudes like “joy is freeing”; and, of the episode where she was eliminated from TC season 10, “I won’t bore you with the gory details.” GIRL WE ARE HERE FOR THE DETAILS! LIKE LITERALLY ANY DETAILS!Ugh…If like me you’re interested in her story because you love top chef & think Kristin is sexy, let the mystery lay. Don’t ruin it by reading this “book.” She & her wife willingly move into a new build house in the suburbs even tho they can work remotely and don’t want to have kids. If that sounds great to you maybe you will like this but if like me you think that is an incomprehensible decision, this is a skip.
July 28, 2025
This was great to do as an audiobook--Kristen gets choked up talking about her wife and her family and it's very sweet.
I don't read many celebrity memoirs, but even without that background I felt like this was a particularly surface-level version of Kristen's story. There's a lot of "my parents were perfect and that's all I have to say about that" and "All of my TV coworkers were totally fine and good" which makes sense from a career standpoint, but if you can't be honest what's the point of writing a memoir? Just wait 20 years or until you're too famous for consequences or you have no living relatives left or something.
I don't read many celebrity memoirs, but even without that background I felt like this was a particularly surface-level version of Kristen's story. There's a lot of "my parents were perfect and that's all I have to say about that" and "All of my TV coworkers were totally fine and good" which makes sense from a career standpoint, but if you can't be honest what's the point of writing a memoir? Just wait 20 years or until you're too famous for consequences or you have no living relatives left or something.
May 5, 2025
I really like Kristen as a person; but I feel like we gotta stop telling people under 60 to write memoirs. Friend, you are not even half way- you have so many chapters left to live.
August 29, 2025
I didn’t know who Kristen was before this book, but I quite enjoyed it. It was a story of someone who slowly found their footing in the world and became brave from a place of love and belonging. I appreciated the way that she talked about others - it was kind, respectful, and spoke to her experience with them, even if others had poor ones. She is someone who seeks to empower and raise others up in the food industry, which isn’t terribly common.
My only gripe is that it dwelt a lot on her personal love life and I could have done with less.
My only gripe is that it dwelt a lot on her personal love life and I could have done with less.
September 10, 2025
I adored this memoir. How she got to this stage in her life was an excellent story. Definitely not what I expected. Loved this read.
June 5, 2025
Always up for a good memoir, and I do love Top Chef!, but this felt a little lacking. Maybe if she had written it in 40 years? Interesting to hear her positive words about Barbara Lynch.
July 14, 2025
Kristen does a good job being introspective and honest with her issues and feelings. This makes the book feel genuine and not one sided. It also provided insight to the before and after of reality tv stardom.
May 6, 2025
I am realizing that I really love memoirs. I just love hearing about people’s lives. I enjoy Kristen on Top Chef, her book didn’t disappoint!
June 12, 2025
this is my own bias but I am Much more interested in the making of top chef than I am about coming out narratives or vague descriptions of how hard it is to work in the restaurant industry. this really felt like it pulled a lot of it's punches, for reasons I understand but still was unsatisfying. still there were some interesting parts and I enjoyed learning the few behind the scene details that were revealed.
May 27, 2025
This took me so long to get through even though the audiobook isn’t that long. It started strong, I loved learning about her upbringing being adopted, and her start in the culinary world. I really picked this up because I’m a huge Top Chef fan and loved Kristen both as a contestant and as a host. For me, this book didn’t have enough about the competition whatsoever, I would’ve loved a breakdown of dishes, more behind the scenes, etc. The whole story really felt just like a recount, with her feelings on things, and she seemed extremely sure in giving advice in regard to her views. I just found it became a bit boring and by the end I really just wanted to get through it, everything in her life kind of happened organically and I don’t feel as though she got into the nitty gritty of anything.
July 7, 2025
DNF @ 10%. I loved Kristen on Top Chef, and she still sounds like an awesome person, but this just isn't very interesting.
June 8, 2025
Accidentally on Purpose: A Memoir
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
A bit of a backgrounder:
I picked up this book, as it sounded interesting, but I had no idea about it. I have not watched Top Chef, nor did I really know too much about Kristen. Further to this, I am not a huge fan of memoirs, and am pretty selective about them. So this was a stretch for me...
I am so glad I got this though.
Kristen's writing is a breath of fresh air.
A really strongly written memoir.
I have read memoirs in the past, and so many of them are just - ok. This was a stellar read.
The topics are interesting, the stakes (and steaks too) are high, and the storyline is captivating.
I would say, this book was a pageturner - It was hard for me to put down, and I really just powered through it.
I liken the writing skill and interest to that of I’m Glad My Mom Died. I went in, knowing nothing about the source material, the TV shows, but was so intrigued and invested.
I learned a lot about the world of restaurants, chefs, kitchen drama, and making it as a celebrity chef.
Kristen definitely has writing chops, and I would seek out future books of hers. I am also drawn to try out her restaurant too sometime (definitely not traveling to the US for at least 4 years, but after - will consider!)!
I highly recommend checking this book out.
4.6/5
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
A bit of a backgrounder:
I picked up this book, as it sounded interesting, but I had no idea about it. I have not watched Top Chef, nor did I really know too much about Kristen. Further to this, I am not a huge fan of memoirs, and am pretty selective about them. So this was a stretch for me...
I am so glad I got this though.
Kristen's writing is a breath of fresh air.
A really strongly written memoir.
I have read memoirs in the past, and so many of them are just - ok. This was a stellar read.
The topics are interesting, the stakes (and steaks too) are high, and the storyline is captivating.
I would say, this book was a pageturner - It was hard for me to put down, and I really just powered through it.
I liken the writing skill and interest to that of I’m Glad My Mom Died. I went in, knowing nothing about the source material, the TV shows, but was so intrigued and invested.
I learned a lot about the world of restaurants, chefs, kitchen drama, and making it as a celebrity chef.
Kristen definitely has writing chops, and I would seek out future books of hers. I am also drawn to try out her restaurant too sometime (definitely not traveling to the US for at least 4 years, but after - will consider!)!
I highly recommend checking this book out.
4.6/5
May 27, 2025
I absolutely devoured this book, completing in just 1 day. Kristen is one of my biggest role models, so when David got me a *signed* copy from the book store, I was beyond excited. And it truly didn’t disappoint. I’ve admired Kristen for so long, yet always knew that there was so much more to her story than what was put out there on television. This book was the perfect channel into understanding her upbringing and how she got to where she is today. A series of happy accidents, but also not really, because she always had her own self assurance and set of values that acted as her compass. Her story resonated immensely with me — the value of letting opportunity guide your next destination, the value of openness and curiosity, the importance of having strong set of values within yourself. It was truly inspiring. I am even more of a fan girl than I already was after reading this. I teared up more than I thought it would, and at the end felt an overwhelming sense of pride for her.
I feel bad giving it 4 stars instead of 5, because the story and message is 5++ stars. However (and understandably) since she is not a writer by craft, the writing was at times a bit clunky / awkward but despite that it absolutely didn’t take away from the beautiful life story and message.
I feel bad giving it 4 stars instead of 5, because the story and message is 5++ stars. However (and understandably) since she is not a writer by craft, the writing was at times a bit clunky / awkward but despite that it absolutely didn’t take away from the beautiful life story and message.
May 13, 2025
I’ve been a fan of Kristen Kish since her Top Chef Season 10 days, so when I saw she had a memoir, I knew I had to read it—and wow, it did not disappoint. Accidentally on Purpose is raw, honest, and incredibly human. Kristen opens up about her identity, her struggles with belonging, the pressure of perfection, and the winding path that led her to becoming the celebrated chef she is today.
What stood out to me most is how grounded and humble she remains, even while sharing stories that could’ve easily been spun into glossy success tales. Her vulnerability makes this book shine—there’s something so refreshing about a memoir that doesn’t tie everything up neatly but still leaves you feeling inspired. It’s not just a food story, it’s a life story. And I loved every bite of it.
What stood out to me most is how grounded and humble she remains, even while sharing stories that could’ve easily been spun into glossy success tales. Her vulnerability makes this book shine—there’s something so refreshing about a memoir that doesn’t tie everything up neatly but still leaves you feeling inspired. It’s not just a food story, it’s a life story. And I loved every bite of it.
August 19, 2025
This was a really great memoir! I’m not an avid Top Chef viewer but I watch it with my dad whenever he has it on and I really enjoy Kristen as the host! I didn’t know much about her going in but I really enjoyed hearing about her life and how she got to where she is now! I very much relate to her struggles with anxiety and her talking about how bad her separation anxiety was as a kid, hit so close to home for me. I also really loved hearing about how she was about to stand up for herself and really find her voice as a chef and a businesswoman over the years!
December 8, 2025
4.5 stars - great listen as Kristen reads the audiobook. Always interesting to hear people's life stories and this was also a great reminder of all the places I've seen Kristen's work through the years (I had totally forgotten she co-hosted Iron Chef on Netflix). If you like Top Chef and you like Kristen, you'll find this interesting.
Want to read
June 5, 2025i have to read this - Kristen is one of my crushes <3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 607 reviews