Explaining what these books and Pepin's influence meant to him, Cosentino said that having dyslexia and attention deficit disorder prevented him from being able to read traditional textbooks and cookbooks.

He then moved to San Francisco's Rubicon, which was owned by Francis Ford Coppola, Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.

After 2002, Cosentino worked at Incanto in the San Francisco neighborhood Noe Valley, serving as the executive chef.

"[11] In 2007, Cosentino opened a salumeria named Boccalone: Tasty Salted Pig Parts in San Francisco's Ferry Building.

Under Cosentino's direction, Incanto launched a charcuterie selection, with all products cured in-house and ranging from mortadella to fennel salume, sweetbread terrines, and salt-cured pork liver.

This product line is based on the community-supported agriculture (CSA) concept in which providing locally grown produce is the focus.

Palladin was an avid hunter and taught Chris to be realistic and respectful about the fate of an animal going from the farmyard or the forest to the dinner plate.

In October 2007 Cosentino was a contestant on The Next Iron Chef, competing with his former mentor at Rubicon, Traci Des Jardins, still a close friend.

[13] On the third episode, when Michael Symon gave him squab as a secret ingredient, his first action was to check the cavities for offal.

In November 2007, he was featured at the end of a Modern Marvels episode about pigs, during which he showed his expertise in cooking pork brain.

Repeated consumption of chili peppers resulted in Cosentino's suffering third-degree alkaline burns in his digestive system and losing intestinal motility.

[21] The book contains recipes for dishes for first courses (most vegetable-based, not meat-based, despite Cosentino's specialty), but also includes philosophy and reproduced handwritten notes and sketches.

[22] In March 2012, Cosentino partnered with Adam Fleischman and opened PIGG, "a tribute to all things pork around the world", at UMAMIcatessen in Los Angeles.