Feast and Famine of a Culinary Vagabond

This is the compelling story of one tough chef who rose to the top of his profession like cream. His story begins at his ancestral home in Eastern Prussia, as he escapes with his mother and twin brother before an advancing Russian Army in the final hours of World War II. Amidst the death and destruction of the final throes of the Third Reich, he barely escapes the advancing Red Army by ship to Denmark. After some relaxing escapades in Rio and South America, Wolfgang Erbe emigrates to the U.S. where he is quickly snapped up by Sardi's in New York Ciy. After encounters with public figures and celebrities, he begins his own restaurant in suburban Washington DC, becoming friends with White House Chef Henry Haller. Erbe's fascinating life story leads him to work as Executive Chef at Alaska Airlines in a period when passengers looked forward to their meal on board the exceptional carrier. Erbe's tale brings the reader full circle from a war torn Europe filled with despair at the end of a world war, to personal accomplishment and triumph a half center later in the U.S. and Asia.