Dominique Crenn has never let a hurdle derail her ambitions. Crenn left her own country for the (somewhat) more egalitarian kitchens of San Francisco after becoming dissatisfied with the male-dominated French culinary establishment (via Shondaland). Despite having no official culinary experience, her first kitchen job was at Stars, the restaurant operated by famed chef Jeremiah Tower, according to the New York Times. Crenn then transformed her extremely personal culinary and creative concept into the restaurant Atelier Crenn, which won her three Michelin stars. She was the first female chef in America to accomplish this milestone.
However, you can never know whatever problems life may throw at you. Crenn was diagnosed with Stage II metastatic breast cancer only a year after receiving her third Michelin star. “It was a triple-negative breast cancer, which is quite a horrible illness to go through,” she told our sister site Mashed in an exclusive interview. Crenn’s cancer is in remission after numerous rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. She’s collaborating with Hard Rock International’s Pinktober campaign this month to raise funds for breast cancer research.
Crenn, who has experienced the highs and lows of breast cancer therapy, offers some hard-earned advise for others who have been diagnosed with the disease. If you or someone you care about is going through anything similar, her words may be of assistance.
