The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute

Customer Reviews

Mighty tasty!

Why are you here? Are you interested in this subject? Then buy it. It's 11 bucks and an absolutely magnetic read. Talk about a deal.

More specifically, the author takes us through the CIA, from weeks spent in Sanitation and Skills and a plethora of other courses, to one week in the best restaurant in the Culinary Institute's portfolio. Along the way, we learn about the hard-charging personalities who become Chefs (with a capital "C"), we hear alot about different kinds of food (and what it takes to prepare them really WELL), and, above all, we become inspired to get more deeply involved with whatever we are doing in the kitchen. Even if it is just our own home kitchen.

The world of great cooking is theatrical and exacting and a lot of darn hard work. There are only three ways to learn about the premier training ground for this fabulous profession: pay a ton of money and become a student there, take a tour if you are visiting in the area, or buy this book.

Or, for that matter, do all three. But start with the book.
Buy it now.

I laughed, I cried, I stood up and cheered!!!!!

And then after all of that I read it again. This book was and is truly amazing! It is a definite must read for anyone wishing to train and work in the field. I read this book in my first semester of College at a SUNY school, when I was doing a lecture series on cooking for a communications class. After reading this book, now I wished I had opted to attend the CIA as originally planned(It's a pity that they don't have accomodations for single mothers with small children).

Now my nephew is considering persuing a career in Culinary Arts and I handed him this book. He's already excited about the prospect of being a chef!

Everything Rulhman writes about regarding working in the food industry is true, demands are made on you to preform on que. And forget the holidays you celebrate the day after. I work in a restaurant kitchen right now, it does take a special breed of people to support feeding hundreds of mouths a night while standing baking in 120 degree heat. But I wouldn't have as much fun any other place!!!

An Accurate Portrayal of Life at the C.I.A.

As a proud graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and having attended the C.I.A. at the same time as the author, I can attest to the accuracy of this book. I had several of the same chef/instructors as did the author. (That's Certified Master Chef Ron DiSantis, a culinary badass, in the foreground of the cover photo)

The book shows the demanding schedule required of those who wish to attend the hands down best cooking school in America, and possibly the world. It should be required reading for all who want to cook for a living.

I like that Ruhlman goes into detail about the life philosophy of "Mise en Place", French for Things in Place. The term, in its strictest sense, means to have all of your ingredients chopped up and arranged logically, all of your pots, pans, and utensils ready to go. In a more general way, it means to be organized and professional. Good term, that.

Anyway, it's a good peek into the kitchen. Enjoy!