Disappointing & Misleading
Ruhlman tries very hard to be neither a culinary student nor a journalist, so he ends up being a sort of half-baked memoirist. On the one hand, The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute is worth reading in order to get a behind-the-scenes of some of what it's like to train at the CIA, but on the other hand, Ruhlman's lack of writerly discipline makes the book exasperatingly low on information.
There's far too much hero-worship on his part of dominant male figures at the school; it seems that Ruhlman is powerfully drawn to aggressive, angry, powerful, and/or graceful men, and his account of the CIA is overshadowed by his need to be accepted by and mythologize male chefs like Adam (a passionate, withdrawn student), the school's president, his Skills teacher, and ... Read More
Deft, knowledgeable, and well written
Michael Ruhlman has found his true calling. He's one of the best authors currently out there who writes culinaryeese ... not about recipes, but about [i]the journey/experience itself[/i]. And he does it with the intimacy and sensitivity of someone who's been through the process himself.
In The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute, the author takes the reader on a ride though what it's like to attend the Culinary Institute of America, from the perspective of an insider/student.
Wonderful book. Well written. Deft, and knowledgeable.
Highly recommended for self-taught cooking aficianados who love every aspect of their hobby, and also for people considering formalized culinary education and a career in the food industry.
An interesting personal account on how one becomes a professional cook
I am an avid follower (hobbyist, not a professional) of all things culinary and my best friend is a CIA graduate, so I was very interested to get an objective view of what what goes on at CIA and to put some perspective around some of the stories he's told me thorugh the years. Ruhlman's story of his time at CIA was engaging and an overall good read, but two things left me a bit cold (hence the 4 vs. 5 stars).
1) I was quite disappointed to find no culinary glossary, dictionary, or reference to define the formal and informal terms he used with great frequency throughout the book. Given my interest in food and my many discussions w/my chef friend, I knew what "family meal" was, what he meant by "in the weeds," and was able to identify ... Read More
Effectively Translating the Language of Professional Cooks
The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute is a revelation to food-lovers and aspiring cooks of what goes on in a professional kitchen. Immersed in the Culinary Institute for six months, Michael Ruhlman effectively translates the cook's jargon of technique and skill into a language that everyone can understand. Ruhlman also touches upon the essential qualities beyond the cook's passion for food: consistency, curiosity and the capacity to evolve.
Just Starting
I am almost 12 years old and am starting The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute. I plan to become a chef when I'm an adult and I want to get a college education from the Culinary Instutute, being only 11, I want to see what the CIA will be like from a students perspective. I am almost at the chapter "Routine" and am enjoying The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute so much. The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute is for very serious chefs, who plan to be or are chefs. There are three books in the series so far and I have two. Michael Ruhlman talks about everything just right, like mirepoix (mero pwa), before reading this, I had no idea what mirepoix was, but learned that with the book. The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute is a non-fiction book about Ruhlman's actual experience at the Institute. The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute is so enjoyable. If you'd like to see more from the culinary, ... Read More
