It’s common to hear chefs exchange the word “heard” back and forth to each other in bustling kitchens as a sense of understanding.
For Anneke Kurt, this word takes on a new meaning — one that is true in the kitchens she manages, but extends to her own life. She began to trust herself and listen to her gut, ultimately getting her voice back and carving a new path for herself.
Kurt, the corporate manager of Kengo Sushi & Yakitori, Kato Ramen, and Papa Kato’s Karaage in Toledo’s Warehouse District, explores this very concept in her debut memoir Heard: Risk, Ramen, and the Recipe That Rewrote My Life, which released on Sept. 21. The self-published book shares how one decision shifted the course of her life: her choice to help open Kato Ramen with her sister Amanda and her sister’s husband, Kengo Kato…