The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.71 (602 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 080508939X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-07-17 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"UPDATED - Excellent book, well written, poor editing" according to Colin Povey. All in all, I think the author did a wonderful job describing the frustrations and joys, the triumphs and tragedys of high-level cooking. His descriptions of Erica in particular, and her struggles, make meel feel like I know her. I enjoyed this book so much, I started to reread the book the day after I finished it.THe downside to this book is it's editing: The book occasionally present a sentence that somehow escaped the editors blue pencil, a sentence that simply does not fit in the paragraph, or even worse, a sentence that is non-sensical. In addition, the book will ocasionally say something like "Ryan says that " assuming you . "Mighty tasty!" according to John Robinson. Why are you here? Are you interested in this subject? Then buy it. It's 11 bucks and an absolutely magnetic read. Talk about a deal.More specifically, the author takes us through the CIA, from weeks spent in Sanitation and Skills and a plethora of other courses, to one week in the best restaurant in the Culinary Institute's portfolio. Along the way, we learn about the hard-charging personalities who become Chefs (with a capital "C"), we hear alot about different kinds of food (and what it takes to prepare them really WELL), and, above all, we become inspired to get more deeply involved with whatever we are doing in the kitchen. E. Zaine Ridling said Best read along with the CIA's "The Professional Chef" textbook. Ruhlman's books are very good, but his blog is simply fantastic and has been for long time. There's no pretention in Ruhlman. He's not about vanity or bull or flash. His focus is on gastronomy, and it's a thread that runs through all his books starting with this one. Of all the famous American chefs, Ruhlman is the one guy I'd want to spend a week with. However, this book is best read side-by-side with the CIA's textbook, "The Professional Chef" (preferably 7th ed. or earlier). It follows that book throughout and it will illustrate all that Ruhlman writes about on any given day at the CIA.This book is full of characters, and his
The fun part of this book is that we all get to go along for the ride without having to endure the trauma of cooking school. It had something to do with potatoes a grand-uncle had eaten deacades earlier, how the man could remember them so well for so long, buried as they had been in the middle of an elegant meal. And when a few things go wrong, the earth begins to wobble on its axis. Ruhlamn has the writerly skills to make the education of a chef a visceral experience. Journalist Michael Ruhlman talked his way into the CIA: the Culinary Institute of America, the Harvard of cooking schools. . Ruhlman wanted to learn how to cook potatoes like that--like an art--and the CIA seemed the place to go. Ever wonder what goes on in a busy kit
As Ruhlmannow an expert on the fundamentals of cookingrecounts his growing mastery of the skills of his adopted profession, he propels himself and his readers through a score of kitchens and classrooms in search of the elusive, unnameable elements of great food. Incisively reported, with an insider's passion and attention to detail, The Making of a Chef remains the most vivid and compelling memoir of a professional culinary education on record.. "Well reported and heartfelt, Ruhlman communicates the passion that draws the acolyte to this precise and frantic profession."The New York Times Book ReviewJust over a decade ago, journalist Michael Ruhlman donned a chef's jacket and houndstooth-check pants to join the students at the Culinary Institute of America, the country's oldest and most influential cooking school. But The Making of a Chef is not just about holding a knife or slicing an onion; it's also about the nature and spirit of being a professional cook and the people who enter the profession