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fcannon's review against another edition
2.0
Badly undercooked. Too much of the "American biography" style – physical descriptions of everyone's age, height, hair color, and very little "character development". I'd heard so many great reviews of this book, and I really enjoyed others like "Walk on Water", but it was completely unengaging for me.
cbking's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting look at the Culinary Institute of America from the inside. Ruhlman's adulation of the CIA's president was a little irritating, but other than that I really got into the journey through the school's 2-year program. Plus, I learned the correct way to hold my chef's knife when chopping!
jill_rey's review against another edition
2.0
Michael Ruhlman is first a foremost a writer, he “enrolls” in The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to write about his experience. This means, he is not a chef and has no experience in the culinary field prior to entering this rigorous program. This book is DENSE, especially for someone with limited cooking knowledge and vocabulary such as myself. I am not, and don’t pretend to be, the chef in my own house; sauce from a can is more than sufficient for me and I do not find myself seeking out restaurants to find the best “palate enhancing” meal. This book was definitely a struggle for me.
I did enjoy the story as Michael got into the kitchens and begun to experience a “restaurant-type” atmosphere. The relationships he outlines briefly provide respite from the otherwise heavy culinary descriptions. The immense physical work and speed Ruhlman portrays as being necessary to pull off a lunch or dinner service did stir fleeting excitement and gave me intriguing insight into the intense world of chefs. But, the book lacked the storyline to make it enjoyable for the average reader as many of the concepts were otherwise lost on me. Although, the brown sauce debate of brown roux versus pale roux does have me googling what widely accepted answer is…
For the full review, please visit: https://fortheloveofthepageblog.wordpress.com/
I did enjoy the story as Michael got into the kitchens and begun to experience a “restaurant-type” atmosphere. The relationships he outlines briefly provide respite from the otherwise heavy culinary descriptions. The immense physical work and speed Ruhlman portrays as being necessary to pull off a lunch or dinner service did stir fleeting excitement and gave me intriguing insight into the intense world of chefs. But, the book lacked the storyline to make it enjoyable for the average reader as many of the concepts were otherwise lost on me. Although, the brown sauce debate of brown roux versus pale roux does have me googling what widely accepted answer is…
For the full review, please visit: https://fortheloveofthepageblog.wordpress.com/
reflexandresolve's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a sucker for any book that explains aspects of cooking, and this one is no exception. Ruhlman's experience at the CIA is pretty interesting -- and I kind of liked the endless back and forth on blonde vs. brown roux. I am also fairly certain that this is the experience that started him off on his other cookbooks (Ratio, 20, etc), so I am in love with it for that.
That said, the prose and organization left something to be desired. I wasn't quite sure how or why his stint at the CIA was proceeding like it did. I understand he had an abbreviated time there, but why did he have the classes he did? Was he sitting in for a couple of the classes along with a full term skills class? Inquiring minds want to know.
Also, as a note about the audiobook -- I understand that it was read in 1998, before certain chefs (ie Tom Collicchio) were household names. But if you're going to narrate an audiobook about a cooking school, maybe learn how to pronounce things like "gnocchi." I also don't know if it was just my copy, but it sounds like it was edited strangely, in that there would be an intake of breath, or a millisecond of a word and then a long-ish pause. I think if I were doing it over, I'd just read the actual book.
That said, the prose and organization left something to be desired. I wasn't quite sure how or why his stint at the CIA was proceeding like it did. I understand he had an abbreviated time there, but why did he have the classes he did? Was he sitting in for a couple of the classes along with a full term skills class? Inquiring minds want to know.
Also, as a note about the audiobook -- I understand that it was read in 1998, before certain chefs (ie Tom Collicchio) were household names. But if you're going to narrate an audiobook about a cooking school, maybe learn how to pronounce things like "gnocchi." I also don't know if it was just my copy, but it sounds like it was edited strangely, in that there would be an intake of breath, or a millisecond of a word and then a long-ish pause. I think if I were doing it over, I'd just read the actual book.
pattireadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
A great book for anyone interested in the life and passion behind an aspiring chef. The world that they are immersed in is extraordinarily challenging and requires considerably more than the 9-5 work mentality. Ruhlman is awesome at describing the personalities of the teachers and students at the CIA, and how cooking is almost an extreme sport! Felt like I also learned a good bit more about actual curriculum and food science- the foundations for making the perfect meal. Excellent read:-)
lockmana's review against another edition
4.0
I am in no way a foodie but I have really enjoyed the "fly on the wall" type feel you get reading this series.
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
I always enjoy reading about food, which is not surprising since I love to cook and eat. So when I saw that my library was getting rid of this book, I brought it home. Not a good idea since my shelves are already packed, but I couldn't pass this up. I like Ruhlman's book called Ratio and I wondered how he became a cook.
All became clear with this book. Ruhlman spent half a year researching the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). Long before immersion memoirs or stunt non-fiction became so popular, Ruhlman decided to go to classes at the CIA. He took some of the basic instruction that all students must take at this world-famous cooking school.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In an alternate life, I might have gone to a culinary school. I don't have the stamina to be a professional chef, but I thought it might be fun. This book showed me that I would have been crazy to even try.
This book is more than 15 years old and cooking has changed as has the CIA itself. However, Ruhlman writes well, he is passionate about his subject and he gives a balanced portrait of the most famous culinary school.
I recommend this book to any foodie, to folks who like to read about other peoples' lives and to readers who enjoy non-fiction written about unusual experiences.
All became clear with this book. Ruhlman spent half a year researching the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). Long before immersion memoirs or stunt non-fiction became so popular, Ruhlman decided to go to classes at the CIA. He took some of the basic instruction that all students must take at this world-famous cooking school.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In an alternate life, I might have gone to a culinary school. I don't have the stamina to be a professional chef, but I thought it might be fun. This book showed me that I would have been crazy to even try.
This book is more than 15 years old and cooking has changed as has the CIA itself. However, Ruhlman writes well, he is passionate about his subject and he gives a balanced portrait of the most famous culinary school.
I recommend this book to any foodie, to folks who like to read about other peoples' lives and to readers who enjoy non-fiction written about unusual experiences.
jsnyder5's review against another edition
5.0
Inspiring account of what it's like going through the world's elite cooking school. But more importantly what it takes and what it means to become a great cook. This book made me want to go to cooking school. It teaches to not settle for anything less than excellence in anything you care about doing.
satyridae's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting though not riveting tale of a writer who goes to school at the CIA. I liked learning how Ruhlman made the transition in his head from "writer" to "cook" and I enjoyed the descriptions of the classes and the outsized personalities of the instructors. The narrator said ri-CO-tah instead of RI-CAH-teh, which bid fair to make me crazy every time. Yes, yes, I know it's a perfectly acceptable alternate pronunciation. But it's wrong to my ear.
slowest's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed reading this book. I picked it up promptly at 12 o'clock every day, read between bites of my lunch, and was very sorry to have to put it down at 1. As someone who is vaguely considering going to culinary school one day, it was amazing to be able to live it through Ruhlman's eyes. I think this was one of his first books, so the writing isn't exactly the most polished and he asks really pedantic questions whenever he's interviewing someone (and he usually includes short biographies in 4th grade book report format) but don't let that detract from the main arc of the book, in which he discovers how to make the perfect brown veal stock.