Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This 1997 second book by journalist Michael Ruhlman is his first of several essays and collaborations in writing about the upper reaches of the American culinary scene. The most fascinating thing about the book is in learning with Ruhlman, as an outsider to the culinary profession, exactly how demanding a job in the culinary arts can be. What is taken as a matter of course by people like Daniel Boulud and Jaques Pepin comes as a surprise to outsider Ruhlman. The surprise is in the commitment to performance which chefs are expected to make to maintain a service to their customers.

The book is a reporting on Ruhlman's taking an abbreviated version of the full curriculum at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where only the President of the school and a few select senior instructors know of the author's real role at the school. This means that when the author did attend classes, he attended the full class, from start to finish, and was expected to perform as well as any other student. While the CIA has many of the appearances of a liberal arts college, it is much closer in practice to a trade school. One symptom of this is that the stocks produced by the basic kitchen skills classes are then used by other classes at the school and they are used by each of the four restaurants run by the school for students, faculty, and outside guests. In a sense, this is a mix of trade school and graduate school, where it is expected that no one will do work worthy of a grade less than a B-.

The epiphany that reveals how serious the culinary profession is about uninterrupted service comes early in the first year when the school is hit by a serious snowstorm and the author considers whether or not he should attempt the difficult trek into the school. The great revelation is that the school and the instructor of Ruhlman's class on that occasion did not expect it to be above and beyond the call of duty to make it to class, and they would have not thought twice about lowering Ruhlman's grade had he been a true, full time student.

When I left school, I was surprised at how much easier life at a job was compared to life in school. I am sure that had a lot to do with the fact that I entered a largely intellectual avocation where so much about how things are done and how long they will take can change from job to job and even lowly technicians are give some opening to contribute to setting target dates. Culinary trades are a much different kettle of fish, literally.

In a professional kitchen, the line cook is totally at the mercy of who happens to walk into the restaurant that day, and how many people walk into the restaurant that day, and at what time. The challenge is to prepare so well and exercise one's skills so often that making six or eight different dishes to perfection at a sauté station becomes second nature. Since it is the job of the CIA to teach you how to do that, the classes can be very demanding.

The first 30% of the book covers the introductory class on basic skills and the main character is the instructor of that class. The last 30% of the book covers time spent in two of the CIA's four practice restaurants. The middle of the book covers experiences in specialized classes for Garde Manger, baking, and other specialities. If you do not already know the serious difference between savory cooking and baking, the books chapter describing the baking class will clear this up in a big hurry.

I confess that I am very fond of this type of book. To me it represents a successful presentation of material that reality TV shows can never hope to achieve. The paradigm for this kind of writing is Tracy Kidder's book `The Soul of a New Machine', to which I would favorably compare this work. You should find it doubly interesting if, as I do, you have an interest in the how and why of the culinary arts and personalities.

Very highly recommended.

I loved this book it took me back to my days as a student at the Culinary School at Kendall College which was founded and started by CIA alum. I had gone back to school to change careers with the evening and part-time program Kendall offered. Being a chef is very demanding physically, emotionally, creatively and finacially. Despite my graduation almost two years ago I haven't quit my day job yet but I still have hope of breaking into the field further. The snow storm story reminded me of the time my roommate woke me up at 4:30 a.m. Because of the cold and snow her car wouldn't start and she had to get to her 5:00 a.m. pastry class come hell or high water. Yes, it did start at 5:00 a.m., how else do you have fresh sweet rolls for breakfast at 7:00 a.m.? I would have to drive her. That is the level of determination that exists. I also recall driving to class with blizzard-like conditions, after working all day and also rushing to my part-time internship in the middle of a summer heat wave to work in a kitchen that was about 110 degrees. I would recommend this book for anyone considering attending culinary school.

Noboday could possibly convey what it's like behind the scenes at Amaerica's top chef's school as well as Michael Ruhlman has. Like many others, I read this book before attending the CIA. I didn't really beleive that things could be as hard and exciting as he made them out to be. But after 2 of the most excrutiating/rewarding years of my life, I now look back on this book as if it were my own memoirs, he is that accurate. A wonderfully written book that will please anyone, whether you're a cook or just eat like one.

I'd like to respond to the inaccuracies in comments by "reader from NY" (2/18/01). I did make it completely clear that I neither attended, nor graduated from, the CIA. I did in fact take entire classes, I was graded, I did take practicals. I did not have problems following the dress code or keeping my knives sharp, as "reader from NY" evidently did. I did not buddy up to chefs but I did interview as many as I possibly could. I was never wined and dined by administration. Furthermore I vividly described the extraordinary burden my fellow students were under. I also describe my own individual situation as both a writer and a student, with my own burdens (this was specifically addressed in a chapter called "The Storm").

I welcome criticism and abhor inaccuracies, especially from people who haven't read the book and felt the grudging remarks from "Reader in NY" ought to be corrected.

One can probably forgive Michael Ruhlman for being a bit obsessive. This volume pairs with his `Soul of a Chef' to provide a veritable one-two punch of cook training voyeurism; he has covered this field with skill and obvious enthusiasm. Between the two books I doubt he leaves any stone unturned in describing the various joys and horrors of modern culinary indoctrination. I'll also give him visionary credit: this particular book dates from 1997 - a full nine years before Bill Buford published his abused-apprentice tome `Heat', whose success will do doubt spawn dozens of ridiculous imitations.

Anyone writing seriously about chef training now appears almost automatically indebted to Mr. Ruhlman. And no wonder: the premise here is almost too good for any aspiring chef. The author goes undercover posing as a student at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)--arguably the best culinary training school in the country, if not the world. (Only the teachers and administrators know his true identity and purpose.) The book often reads like cleaned-up notes from his various adventures--and that's really where the attraction lies. If you find being a virtual student at CIA potentially attractive, I suspect you'll love `The Making of a Chef'; Ruhlman not only give you what it's like, he truly gives you how it feels.

A stark example clarifies the emotions involved: apparently the weather during our hero's winter semester at CIA was the worst in years: many feet of snow dumped regularly. (The campus is in the Hudson Valley in New York State). At one juncture Ruhlman ponders not coming in to class--he's expected for an important test--due to the weather. And one of his teachers--after quietly hearing his decision--lets him have it over the phone: "We're different," he said. "We get there. It's part of what makes us a chef." (I strongly suspect Ruhlman chose his title from this exchange.) I was quiet. "We like it that way. That's why this place (CIA) never shuts down. And we're teaching the students this." The author learns quickly from this airing-out: "This is a physical world. The food is either finished at six o'clock or it's not. ... It wasn't simply that excuses were not accepted here--excuses had no meaning at all." (Italics mine.)

The detail here is nothing short of astounding. The cast of characters at CIA--from stock specialists to obsessives on bread cultures--never disappoint because we see what makes them tick and why each believes the work he's doing--and teaching--is important. And by taking us into this world and showing us just how passionate the teachers and students are we--at least those of us who love good cooking--also see its importance. This is a hard world but everyone loves being there. I found the best part of the author's style--and he's no slouch in general--came from the colorful way he showed me where that love come from in each individual he encounters.

Still, `Making' is not perfect. Ruhlman sets out a strict curriculum format--plowing through each semester, each class in chronological order--and never varies, making for a few dull interludes and redundancies. It's not an awful setup, but some variation would have been welcome; the author clearly loves some aspects of his visit (grill station, bread-making) more than others.

Of course, ultimately Michael Ruhlman is not a chef or even a chef-in-training. He's a journalist, and no matter how immersed he becomes in CIA's world we never lose sight of his voyeurism. This perspective has a few downsides, e.g., any tension about failing or even displeasing a teacher has to be conveyed second-hand through his fellow student's experiences. But I found the detachment ultimately very successful. I didn't want to know what's it's like to be a CIA student in the sense of getting inside anyone's head. I wanted to know what rigors must be overcome by anyone to even begin the journey of becoming a top-line chef. And `The Making of a Chef' was a hugely instructive and entertaining guide.

Buy this book, read this book - then get into your kitchen and feel inspired to create something amazing. For those of us who love to play around with food, wine and cooking - this is an inspirational read. You will never take eating at a good restaurant for granted again. I eat out a lot - maybe too much, and never really thought about the process and techniques which went into each dish I ordered.

Reading this book makes you stop and appreciate the effort which goes into food at this level. At one point many years ago, I thought briefly about becoming a chef - but after this read, now have absolutely no doubts of the level of commitment and work it requires.

The descriptions are so precise you can sense the aromas of almost every creation. Just buy the bloody thing, you won't regret it. I originally bought this as a gift for somebody else, now I have to get another copy for her. I want to read this again.

Wow, what a great book! This book was given to my 20 year old son by his mentor chef just days after being accepted for the CIA program. What an incredible look into the school and the curriculm. After reading it cover to cover twice - he finally parted with it long enough for his dad and I to read it too. You have no idea how much better we felt sending our son clear across the country, knowing almost EXACTLY what he'd be going through, step by step. We now own two copies - one with us here in Washington State and one with our student in Hyde Park, NY. He's been in classes since June and says the book is right on the money. Also been great fun for him to expereince the different chef instructors that he'd read about in the book. Thank you Michael. You have no idea how jealous my friends are that there's not a book such as this about the colleges their kids are attending. Also loved "Soul" just as much. Who knows, maybe our CIA student will be taking that test someday in the future too!

I devoured this book as soon as it arrived! Michael conveys the rigors and detail of cooking along with the passions and complete dedication of those who choose this profession, framing it all in a personal story. I feel that I've lived my fantasy of training at the CIA and I've met some fascinating people along the way. This book is a must-have for anyone with any curiosity about this profession, or for anyone who just loves food.

As someone who is considering attending culinary school, this is truly an informative and inspiring read. Michael Ruhlman truly takes us into the heart of the CIA to experience the hard work and dedication of their students! It's obvious that he put great effort into telling the unbiased story, which is that the life of a chef is in no ways glamorous. This is one of the few non-fiction books I have actually enjoyed reading, and where I actually felt interested in the characters. My one complaint is that the sequence of his storytelling was sometimes confusing, and he skipped over some units while spending way too much time on others. I know Skills is important but I would have liked to hear more about the Pastry units! Overall, though, a worthwhile read for anyone considering becoming a chef or even if you're just curious as to what it takes to become a chef!

It is not often that I take the time to review a book, but Michael Ruhlman's book is noteworthy. He is a gifted writer, communicating to the reader the human essence of an experience. A college dean once told me that a great writer extracts something so real from life and people that you want the story to continue as you want life to continue. Her example was Robinson Crusoe. While not that superlative, Ruhlman clearly has a great talent. I am not a cook, nor am I interested in becoming one. I am interested in education, challenge, supreme effort and the components of greatness. If you share those interests, you will devour as I did, The Making of a Chef.