Appetites: A Memoir

Although Marie LeNôtre’s life didn’t follow the path her mother imagined—Marie as a beautiful, blonde actress in Hollywood—it did find a path that led her to an extraordinary and fulfilling life. As an accomplished student with an array of degrees, Marie is the founder and director of the renowned Culinary Institute LeNôtre. In Appetites she shares her childhood dreams and adolescent struggles, the pains and joys of love in France, and the way she made the famous culinary name of LeNôtre her own—and helped spread it across the globe.
Appetites begins with two story lines—the early life of Marie and that of her husband Alain—that meld into one: the story of Marie and Alain together in Houston and the birth of their Culinary Institute. Marie’s story traces her journey through Greece and France, and finally settles in the US, weaving her personal and professional struggles together.
Marie writes passionately about difficulties in establishing the school, its eventual success, and the joy she finds in working with the students. Her memoir provides fascinating insight into the LeNôtre Empire, a heartwarming love story, and a reflection on life’s spiritual journey.