"Knorr is the best fucking ingredient in the world, let's not kid ourselves. Knorr chicken-stock cubes? Genius product. Every kitchen should have a packet." —Marco Pierre White

Marco Pierre White, self-declared "gastro-punk," is as well-known for his unapologetic, maniacal abandon as he is for being the youngest chef to receive three Michelin stars. Anthony Bourdain called him "the original rock-star chef, the guy all of us wanted to be." Mario Batali said, "Marco is a gift to humanity, with more passion per pound than anyone else I have ever met. After all these years, Marco is still my hero."

White's 1990 book White Heat—which is tragically out of print and now very hard to come by—is coveted and considered a holy gospel by many chefs and eaters. Filled with gorgeous, kinetic photos and labor-intensive recipes, it's the sweatiest of food porn, of which the best cooking fantasies are made.

On Monday, May 14, as part of the great Cooks and Books series, White will be in town for a dinner at Union (1400 First Ave), and to promote his new book, The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness, and the Making of a Great Chef. The meal, prepared by Union's Ethan Stowell and Jason Stoneburner, should be nothing short of awesome. (Cost is $125 per person; for reservations call Union at 838-8000.)