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jess_mango's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. Ruhlman attempts to find out what makes a good chef. The book contains 3 sections. In the 1st section Ruhlman goes to the Culinary Institute of America to see what goes into passing the Certified Master Chef exam. In the 2nd part, Ruhlman goes to a Cleveland restaurant that is operated by a CIA graduate. The last section of the book takes us to Thomas Keller's California restaurant French Laundry. Keller was recognized as the best chef in America by the James Beard awards. After reading this book I made a personal goal to eat at French Laundry one day.
Highly recommended to foodies.
Highly recommended to foodies.
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
4.0
I highly enjoyed this one and would give it closer to 4.5 stars. Ruhlman breaks down his journey into three sections. The first focuses on the CMC, the Certified Master Chef exam, going into more detail in chef Brian Polcyn's story than some of the others. This is a brutally difficult, multi-day test of specific and precise cooking. Next, Ruhlman provides background on Michael Symon, currently an Iron Chef and owner of Lola in Cleveland. The book closes with an entire section on Thomas Keller and The French Laundry. Ruhlman ties these stories together by examining the drive and style behind each of the chefs; how do each of them achieve perfection, if at all?
This is my July Food for Thought book club book, and so I had no idea which chefs were going to be discussed. I was overjoyed by the last two stories--I became a fan of Michael Symon while watching The Next Iron Chef, and loved how his laughter is described perfectly in the book. And then to learn more about Thomas Keller! Ah, wonderful. Yet none of it would have mattered if Ruhlman wasn't a very solid writer. I had no previous knowledge of either the CMC nor Brian Polcyn, yet I was still riveted in the first part of the book. The writing flowed well, with plenty of technical discussions, yet nothing that I ever found difficult to grasp or out of my reach.
I learned about these chefs, but more than that, I came away from this book with a new found respect for food (ALL parts of the animal), along with some ponderings on my own motivations and yearnings to improve. Very well done.
This is my July Food for Thought book club book, and so I had no idea which chefs were going to be discussed. I was overjoyed by the last two stories--I became a fan of Michael Symon while watching The Next Iron Chef, and loved how his laughter is described perfectly in the book. And then to learn more about Thomas Keller! Ah, wonderful. Yet none of it would have mattered if Ruhlman wasn't a very solid writer. I had no previous knowledge of either the CMC nor Brian Polcyn, yet I was still riveted in the first part of the book. The writing flowed well, with plenty of technical discussions, yet nothing that I ever found difficult to grasp or out of my reach.
I learned about these chefs, but more than that, I came away from this book with a new found respect for food (ALL parts of the animal), along with some ponderings on my own motivations and yearnings to improve. Very well done.
serafinapekkala's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite as compelling as Making of a Chef but still an excellent read.
scheu's review against another edition
4.0
The first third of the book, recounting the CIA's certified master chef exam, is a sequel to Ruhlman's previous book (The Making of a Chef). It was my favorite part. The last 2/3 (about Michael Symon and Thomas Keller), although interesting, didn't thrill me. I'm much more into the METHOD than the PEOPLE.
I do plan on trying the seared tuna with ginger-OJ reduction that Symon randomly mentioned, though. :D
I do plan on trying the seared tuna with ginger-OJ reduction that Symon randomly mentioned, though. :D
jwsg's review against another edition
4.0
This book just makes me want to go straight to French Laundry and eat there every day for a month. Or two. And then there was a mini eureka moment reading about Grant Aschatz in the Soul Of A Chef and remembering his appearance in Ruhlman's other book.
charsiew21's review against another edition
5.0
In my current binge on food-related books, this book conveyed most clearly what it means to have a reverence for food.
At several points in the book, I felt like I was reading a sports commentary as Ruhlman described the process of cooking. Which made me think that cooks are, in a sense, like athletes in their pursuit of perfection.
And I really liked Thomas Keller's take on how one should approach to preparing and eating meat.
At several points in the book, I felt like I was reading a sports commentary as Ruhlman described the process of cooking. Which made me think that cooks are, in a sense, like athletes in their pursuit of perfection.
And I really liked Thomas Keller's take on how one should approach to preparing and eating meat.
jenmcmaynes's review against another edition
3.0
I had very mixed reactions to this book. I loved the first two sections (almost to a 5 star level) and really disliked the final third. The first section focused on chefs trying to pass the Certified Master Chef exam given by the Culinary Institute of America. 10 days of grueling cooking, judging, and trying to live up to impossible expectations; I found it fascinating. Admittedly, this book was written in the late 90s (before such shows as Iron Chef and Chopped made competition style cooking seem common place) but that didn't take away from the awe-inspiring cooking happening... and the fact that this is for professional accreditation, not money. The second section focused on Michael Symon's restaurant Lola; again, this book was written before he became a Food Network star, so it was an interesting study of a succesful business by an up-an-coming chef. I liked the descriptions of his food, the energy, and the happy vibe of Lola. Finally, the third section focused on The French Laundry and Thomas Keller's style of cooking. And that's where the book lost me, because it became apparent that the author was an unapologetic Keller fanboy, and because I just didn't find the descriptions of Keller's haute cuisine very appetizing. Calf's brains, onion tapioca, trotters, and of course foie gras (over and over again)... no thanks.
The overall premise of the book (captured in the subhead "the journey towards perfection") was pretty slight; it holds the narrative together, but just barely. But if you are interested in a behind the scenes look a how some of the top chefs in the country cook, than I would recommend this, with the caveat that the third section (with its rampant admiration for Keller) can become snobby and condescending (basically "foodie-ism" at its worst).
The overall premise of the book (captured in the subhead "the journey towards perfection") was pretty slight; it holds the narrative together, but just barely. But if you are interested in a behind the scenes look a how some of the top chefs in the country cook, than I would recommend this, with the caveat that the third section (with its rampant admiration for Keller) can become snobby and condescending (basically "foodie-ism" at its worst).
nakedsushi's review against another edition
3.0
Soul of a Chef is food writer Michael Ruhlman’s experience as a student going through the esteemed Culinary Institute of America. For someone who’s thought about working in a restaurant, the book was an eye-opener; it gave me a view of the CIA without actually having to attend it.
Ruhlman manages to deftly convey his enthusiasm for food as well as the enthusiasm of the people he writes about. Instructors and teachers all have their own personal quirks and beliefs and Ruhlman writes them down without seeming too didactic or biased. I especially liked the section on the bread baking course because it’s easy to imagine the love the instructor of that course has for something as seemingly simple as a loaf of bread.
Soul of a Chef is informative and enjoyable to read, but I wouldn’t call it a page-turner. I had been stuck at the last few chapters of the book for a while because I just didn’t feel like finishing it. I do recommend reading it while eating though, because I found myself getting hungry otherwise. The book isn’t the most exciting thing I’ve read, I would recommend it to anyone thinking of attending the CIA.
Ruhlman manages to deftly convey his enthusiasm for food as well as the enthusiasm of the people he writes about. Instructors and teachers all have their own personal quirks and beliefs and Ruhlman writes them down without seeming too didactic or biased. I especially liked the section on the bread baking course because it’s easy to imagine the love the instructor of that course has for something as seemingly simple as a loaf of bread.
Soul of a Chef is informative and enjoyable to read, but I wouldn’t call it a page-turner. I had been stuck at the last few chapters of the book for a while because I just didn’t feel like finishing it. I do recommend reading it while eating though, because I found myself getting hungry otherwise. The book isn’t the most exciting thing I’ve read, I would recommend it to anyone thinking of attending the CIA.
aubrigail's review against another edition
4.0
I bought this book as a Christmas present for John. I ended up reading it and enjoying it, too. I also keep up with Michael Ruhlman's blog.