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