The Written Word
Today Im going to review a book that Ive read at least a dozen times over the last few years, Most often when I began to lose sight of my dream of becoming a Chef.
The Making of a Chef: Mastering Hear at the Culinary Institute of America
Author: Michael Ruhlman
1997 Henry Holt and Company
An Owl Book
When I first read this book I was returning to Culinary school after previously leaving Pennsylvania Culinary in Pittsburgh. I took some time to debate over my future and one day I realized how much I missed the kitchen. I was getting ready to start classes at Art Institute of Colorado and I saw this book in the bargin bin at Borders. I remembered some of the chefs at Penn Cul talk about it so I picked it up.
After the first 20 pages I was laughing out loud at the fact that Michael Ruhlman hit the nail dead on the head with his explaination of the stress and nervousness you feel the first time stepping into culinary school. Michael even did an excellent job of talking and getting the feel of each of the students attending the school. One chapter stood out to me as pure truth.
He explains the frustration of one particular student, Matt, and his trouble with the course in Skills 1 (The first actual class you cook in). By Skills 2 Matt had stopped showing up and a rumor was spreading that he had quit and was moving to hawaii, which turns out to be true. He goes on to pinpoint the major difference betweens those that are there for a reason and will stand strong and those who will fall away. Something that is present even today, much like boot camp some "wash out".
Overall Michael does a fantastic job at pinpointing the small things that both excite true students of the culinary and scare them to death. Tension between fellow students and students and instructors and the connection that they all feel as classes move along is described in great detail.
If I had to pick one thing I wish this book had it would have to be more detail at how much work the culinary industry really is. It does well to explain the difficulty of Culinary School, but a follow up chapter with some of the students he studied with a year or so later would have been a great eye opener for alot of potential culinary students. Many end up leaving the field because they expect to leave culinary school and be running a kitchen, but the fact of the matter is you spend a few years grinding out hours on a line and continue to learn and grow.
In conclusion this is a fantastic book, one that I suggest anyone who has an interest in going to culinary school reads. It prepares you well and gives those on the outside a strong idea of how culinary schools run, which is very different then all other types of schools.
I give it:
Check out Michael Ruhlmans Blog Here
The Making of a Chef: Mastering Hear at the Culinary Institute of America
Author: Michael Ruhlman
1997 Henry Holt and Company
An Owl Book
When I first read this book I was returning to Culinary school after previously leaving Pennsylvania Culinary in Pittsburgh. I took some time to debate over my future and one day I realized how much I missed the kitchen. I was getting ready to start classes at Art Institute of Colorado and I saw this book in the bargin bin at Borders. I remembered some of the chefs at Penn Cul talk about it so I picked it up.
After the first 20 pages I was laughing out loud at the fact that Michael Ruhlman hit the nail dead on the head with his explaination of the stress and nervousness you feel the first time stepping into culinary school. Michael even did an excellent job of talking and getting the feel of each of the students attending the school. One chapter stood out to me as pure truth.
He explains the frustration of one particular student, Matt, and his trouble with the course in Skills 1 (The first actual class you cook in). By Skills 2 Matt had stopped showing up and a rumor was spreading that he had quit and was moving to hawaii, which turns out to be true. He goes on to pinpoint the major difference betweens those that are there for a reason and will stand strong and those who will fall away. Something that is present even today, much like boot camp some "wash out".
Overall Michael does a fantastic job at pinpointing the small things that both excite true students of the culinary and scare them to death. Tension between fellow students and students and instructors and the connection that they all feel as classes move along is described in great detail.
If I had to pick one thing I wish this book had it would have to be more detail at how much work the culinary industry really is. It does well to explain the difficulty of Culinary School, but a follow up chapter with some of the students he studied with a year or so later would have been a great eye opener for alot of potential culinary students. Many end up leaving the field because they expect to leave culinary school and be running a kitchen, but the fact of the matter is you spend a few years grinding out hours on a line and continue to learn and grow.
In conclusion this is a fantastic book, one that I suggest anyone who has an interest in going to culinary school reads. It prepares you well and gives those on the outside a strong idea of how culinary schools run, which is very different then all other types of schools.
I give it:
Check out Michael Ruhlmans Blog Here