Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection

Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780670891559
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 067089155X
Label: Viking Books
Languages:EnglishUnknownEnglishOriginal LanguageEnglishPublished
Manufacturer: Viking Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: June 26, 2000
Publisher: Viking Books
Studio: Viking Books

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant world and the men and women who live to create perfection.

In 1997, journalist and cook Michael Ruhlman observed incognito the certified Master Chef examination at the Culinary Institute of America, one of the most grueling competitions in the gastronomic world. In his critically acclaimed The Making of a Chef, which Peter Kamisky of The New York Times hailed as "well-reported and heartfelt," Ruhlman offered a vivid and unique portrait of this extraordinary world.

The Soul of a Chef combines Ruhlman's masterful storytelling with his immense love of food to reveal the men and women whose main goal is to serve food of perfection. Through working and talking with three of the most talented young chefs in the business, Ruhlman takes the reader on a journey past the dark heart of the profession toward the soul of a chef--a journey that takes him into the kitchens of the finest restaurants from the Napa Valley to the Hudson Valley. Here he reveals the collective experience of these men as they all strive to achieve their own level of perfection.

The Soul of a Chef is a satisfying and fascinating immersion into the hearts and minds of those who undertake the grueling, but richly rewarding pledge to serve only the best. It is a must for gastronomes, prospective chefs, and all lovers of great food.

Amazon.com Review:
For his first book, The Making of a Chef, hands-on journalist Michael Ruhlman attended the most prestigious cooking school in the U.S., the Culinary Institute of America. He also earned his chef's whites and began cooking professionally. Ruhlman ventures further into the secret lives of chefs with his second book, The Soul of a Chef. This enthusiastically researched report is divided into three parts: The first concerns the Certified Master Chef exam, a brutal weeklong cooking marathon that measures the skill levels of professional chefs. The second and third parts of Ruhlman's book are devoted to the careers of two different chefs, Michael Symon of Cleveland's Lola Bistro and Thomas Keller of Napa Valley's legendary French Laundry. The thread connecting these three tales together is Ruhlman's quest for culinary perfection: Does it exist? Is it possible? How is it even measurable? Ruhlman does indeed stumble onto the realization of his high-minded ideal, serving up a palatable conclusion for hard-core foodies equally obsessed with the perfect meal. --Sumi Hahn Almquist

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