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. ( )

This is the first Michael Ruhlman book I've read. Since it is one of his early efforts I found a clumsy sentence here or there that brought me out of the life of a chef but the conversational tone and explanations was able to pull me back in. My introduction to Ruhlman (and Michael Symon) was the Cleveland episode of Anthony Bourdain's tv show No Reservations. Ruhlman has written many books (memoirs, cookbooks, and non-fiction) since this one was published. I plan on reading more of his books.

This book has three parts and an epilogue. The first part is about the certified master chef exam. The second part is about Lola, Michael Symon's first restaurant. (Since the book was written, Lola has moved to another Cleveland location and Lolita now resides in the original Lola space.) The third part is about the French Laundry and Thomas Keller. The epilogue is Ruhlman's ruminations on the entire experience. As a bonus, there is an Appendix with recipes from some of the chefs featured in the book.

Part I: Certified Master Chef Exam (Or the Objective Truth of Great Cooking)

If you have ever seen Bravo's Top Chef with it's quickfire challenges and judges table then you have a small taste of what the Certified Master Chef Exam is like. But imagine paying thousands of dollars for ten days of classes and tests with no guarantee that you will make it beyond the first day and there is no guarantee you will receive the certification that many in your industry look down upon. Each candidate is given a list ahead of time of the equipment and kitchen staples. They attend classes in the mornings and then get the afternoon and evenings to prepare for their exams. Each exam covers the use of the knowledge imparted during the lecture, execution of cooking methods, food combinations, and so forth. Brian Polcyn is one of the chefs featured in this section.

Part II: Lola

I'm sure no one predicted during the writing of The Soul of a Chef that Michael Symon would become a Food Network star. He is currently one of the American Iron Chefs and the host of Dinner Impossible. (Note: It was recently announced that Robert Levine will return to hosting the show and Michael Symon has two shows currently in the works at the network.) This chapter is basically a profile on what can make a successful restaurant. These ingredients include (1) good food, (2) a personable chef, (3) dedicated staff and (4) high expectations from everyone involved in the restaurant. Symon was just named one of the 10 Best New Chefs for 1998 in Food & Wine when Ruhlman decided he needed to spend some extended time at Lola to see if he could pinpoint why it was going so well for Symon.

Part III: Journey Toward Perfection

Through a mutual acquaintance, Ruhlman is introduced to Thomas Keller and eventually co-writes a cookbook with him (and Polcyn from the first section). During his time with Keller, Ruhlman meets with Keller in California and Ohio. They discuss not only food but the philosophy behind what makes a good food experience. After all, someone can have a perfectly executed meal that still falls flat on flavors and vice versa.

Epilogue

The epilogue is really a summary of the time Ruhlman spends with these chefs. At the heart of this experience is a conversation between Ruhlman and Keller. It is the one of the points Bill Buford was trying to get across with his book Heat; we're becoming a nation of non-cooks. And it's true. Recently a recipe I was given called for grated nutmeg. When faced with a whole nutmeg I could not identify it on sight and had to ask if the whole thing gets grated or should it be broken open and then grated? And I realized the other day I've never made macaroni and cheese that did not originate from a box. ( )

This book is almost impossible to review objectively. Like Making of a Chef, the book is aimed at foodies, people who know their French mother sauces and the difference between a saute pan and a sauteuse. If you're not in that group, you may not be able to share Ruhlman's crazy passion and hero-worship of his subjects. Ruhlman's writing, if you are not into food, can be repetitive and cliched, and he doesn't break any new ground in terms of understanding food culture (cf. Michael Pollan's work). This said, Ruhlman has had some amazing, enviable experiences, and he writes about them with great zeal and clarity. The first section, about the CIA's Certified Master Chef exam, is totally compelling. The bio of Michael Symon is fun. The section about the French Laundry and Keller feels tagged on and thin in some ways, but is interesting nonetheless. ( )

The Soul of a Chef is really three short books all based on Michael Ruhlman's observation of what it takes to become a chef. In the 1st , and by far the most enjoyable, Ruhlman observes the 14 day examination for the Certifed Master Chef title. In the 2nd, he follows Michael Symon's early career as he opens the Lola restaurant. In the 3rd, and least enjoyable, he describes his love for Thomas Keller. Ruhlman is a good writer, he knows food, and his books are definately worth reading - they are also annoying. When Ruhlman is observing and sharing, the books are fantastic - when he is opining, you just want him to shut up. He is always waxing poetical about the French style of cooking - he never talks about cooking in France. If you look at Thomas Keller as just another three star chef (who learnt from apprhenticeships) then he fails to look like the second coming. Furthermore, Ruhlman can cook - but he has never been a chef - still he accepts a holier than thou attitude about how to do things that is independent of financial necessity. Restaurants sink or swim based on profit margin, not on being true to Escoffier. ( )

http://www.lonelymountain.net/books/a... ( )