A review by jenmcmaynes
The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection by Michael Ruhlman

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).