The Soul of a Chef: The Journey toward Perfection
By Michael Ruhlman
Read by Donald Corren
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2 Formats: CD
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or 1 CreditISBN: 9781483002019
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In his second in-depth foray into the world of professional cooking, Michael Ruhlman journeys into the heart of the profession. Observing the rigorous Certified Master Chef exam at the Culinary Institute of America, the most influential cooking school in the country, Ruhlman enters the lives and kitchens of rising star Michael Symon and the renowned Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. This fascinating book will satisfy any reader's hunger for knowledge about cooking and food, the secrets of successful chefs, at what point cooking becomes an art form, and more. Like Ruhlman's The Making of a Chef, this is an instant classic in food writing—one of the fastest growing and most popular subjects today.
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Summary
Summary
A New York Times Notable Book
In his second in-depth foray into the world of professional cooking, Michael Ruhlman journeys into the heart of the profession. Observing the rigorous Certified Master Chef exam at the Culinary Institute of America, the most influential cooking school in the country, Ruhlman enters the lives and kitchens of rising star Michael Symon and the renowned Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. This fascinating book will satisfy any reader's hunger for knowledge about cooking and food, the secrets of successful chefs, at what point cooking becomes an art form, and more.
Like Ruhlman's The Making of a Chef, this is an instant classic in food writing—one of the fastest growing and most popular subjects today.
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
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Three Chefs, Three Styles, Three Greats
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I think I’ve just discovered a new name to add to my list of favorite authors. Michael Ruhlman is the person who essentially invented food writing, and The Soul of a Chef helped launch the style into the mainstream. His style is easy to follow and highly informative, while retaining an engaging investigative journalistic style. After listening to this book, I continue to use the terms “mire poix,” “sweating,” and “mise en place.”
This book is written in three parts, each following a different chef as they “journey toward perfection.”
Part 1 follows Brian Polcyn, a renowned chef from Five Lakes Grill in Michigan. Having long-established himself as a master chef, he decided to take the Culinary Institute of America’s (CIA) controversial Certified Master Chef exam to officially claim the title of CMC. This part follows Brian through the varying and increasingly difficult tests, details the approach to the administration and judging of the tests, and inevitably ends with questioning the validity of the CMC test. Being adverse to and skeptical of those who claim authority in fields, I found this part frustrating.
Part 2 joins the fun-loving, gregarious Michael Symon in his famous Cleveland restaurant Lola. As contrasted to the sterile and militant style of running a kitchen that the CIA presented in the previous part, Michael and his restaurant breaks nearly every rule of being a chef. Pans are not sterling, not everything is mise en place, and there are many moments of chaos. Yet somehow, Michael and his team produce excellent food that brings forward new ways to infuse traditional Midwestern dishes with chic and tasty touches. Despite the rousing success of Lola and its exceptional food, Ruhlman continues to hunt further for perfection.
This brings us to Part 3 in which Michael visits Thomas Keller, arguably the greatest chef ever, at his world-famous French Laundry in Yountville, California, just outside of Napa. Blending the best of both the previous parts of the book, Thomas runs a sterling kitchen to the point of demanding that sautee pans be kept sparkling to such a degree that the metal is scoured so thin the handle becomes too heavy and makes the pan flop over. On the other hand, he’s unafraid to divert from tradition and to create elegant dishes from offal and other ingredients most would consider garbage. He does all this without any formal academic training or certification, instead having learned practically through working directly with French chefs in the Catskills and abroad.
Did Michael Ruhlman find perfection? You’ll have to hear narrator Donald Corren’s reading of this book to find out.
Author
Author Bio: Michael Ruhlman
Michael Ruhlman is the author of eighteen books about food, cooking, and other subjects. His books include The Elements of Cooking and Ratio and chef Thomas Keller’s seminal The French Laundry Cookbook as well as a highly successful series about the training of chefs. He has worked at the New York Times and as a food columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He is attended the Culinary Institute of America.
Details
Details
| Available Formats : | Digital Download, CD |
| Category: | Nonfiction |
| Runtime: | 12.23 |
| Audience: | Adult |
| Language: | English |
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