Books › The Making of a Chef
The Making of a Chef
First published 1997 · 320 pages
A vivid, propulsive plunge into the intense, detail-obsessed world of professional culinary education.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping directly into the high-energy kitchens of a prestigious culinary academy. It is a propulsive and deeply immersive experience, driven by an incisive journalistic eye that quickly transforms into an insider's passionate obsession. The narrative moves briskly through classrooms and prep stations, focusing not just on the physical mechanics of slicing and cooking, but on the elusive spirit and intense dedication required to master the craft. The prose is vivid and attentive to the smallest details, capturing the pressure and profound respect for food that defines professional cooks. It will thoroughly delight readers who crave a rigorous, behind-the-scenes exploration of culinary mastery and the people who dedicate their lives to it.
- Mood
- energetic
- focused
- immersive
- Tone
- incisive
- passionate
- observant
- earnest
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- mastery of craft · professional dedication · the spirit of cooking · culinary education
- The writing
- Incisively reported with vivid attention to detail and an insider's passionate voice.
- The arc
- Moves from an outsider's curious observation to an insider's passionate mastery of a demanding craft.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave an immersive, behind-the-scenes look at the intense dedication and spirit required to master the culinary arts.
About the book
Just 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. As Ruhlman -- now an expert on the fundamentals of cooking -- recounts 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. - Publisher.
Description from Open Library.
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