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

<p><b>&quot;Well reported and heartfelt, Ruhlman communicates the passion that draws the acolyte to this precise and frantic profession.&quot; -- <i>The New York Times Book Review</i></b></p><p>Just over a decade ago, journalist Michael Ruhlman donned a chef's jacket and houndstooth-check pants to join the students at the Culinary Institute of America, the country's oldest and most influential cooking school. But <i>The Making of a Chef</i> is not just about holding a knife or slicing an onion; it's also about the nature and spirit of being a professional cook and the people who enter the profession. As Ruhlman -- now an expert on the fundamentals of cooking -- recounts his growing mastery of the skills of his adopted profession, he propels himself and his readers through a score of kitchens and classrooms in search of the elusive, unnameable elements of great food. </p><p>Incisively reported, with an insider's passion and attention to detail, <i>The Making of a Chef</i> remains the most vivid and compelling memoir of a professional culinary education on record.</p>