`The Soul of a Chef' is the second of Michael Ruhlman's journalistic
explorations into the world of culinary life in America. The book contains
three long essays that chronicle parts of the careers of three different chefs
at three different levels of achievement. Thus, the journey toward perfection
is more the journey of the author than it is a journey by a single chef.
The first essay is a telling of the events in
one examination for the title of `Certified Master Chef'. The certification is
carried out and bestowed by the Culinary Institute of America, often
characterized as the Harvard of American cooking schools. The examination runs
for more than a week when, on each day, the candidate must complete a
particular task. The candidate knows the object of each task at least a day in
advance, so they may at least mentally prepare for their challenge. Almost all
tasks are taken from the pages of classic French cuisine, some lifted almost
directly from the pages of Escoffier's books on the subject. Out of about a
dozen qualifiers competing at each session, held once every six months, usually
only two or three candidates pass the test and are awarded the title. The
author participates in the competition under the ruse of being an inspector
from a fictional qualifying organization that is verifying that the tests are
worthy of an imaginary certification. In that way, the author can observe and
interview all the candidates without arousing suspicion or apprehension in the
candidates. Thus, this book picks up the narrative on American culinary careers
at very much the same place the author left off at the end of his first
culinary investigation `The Making of a Chef'. Most candidates have been chefs
for a few years and are looking to add to their credentials and marketability,
especially those who work as consultants to food service organizations. In many
ways, this chapter is the most interesting, as it holds your interest to see if
the featured candidates in the narrative will achieve their certification.
The second essay had a much weaker hold on my
interest, although the quality of the writing was equal to that in the first
essay. The essay title, `Lola' is the name of a major Cleveland restaurant
whose owner and head chef is Michael Symon, a CIA graduate, who may be familiar
to some of you as one of the co-hosts on the Food Network show `Melting Pot'
where he and Wayne Harley Brachman explore eastern European cuisines. In
addition to this distinction, Symon has been recognized as a `Food and Wine'
best new chef, so he really does not need the kind of recognition one achieves
by earning the Certified Master Chef award. Symon's position in the middle
essay is a sign of his rank above the CIA Master Chef candidates and below the
very top of the American culinary scene represented by the chef in the last
essay. The most interesting episode in the tale of Symon and `Lola' is in the
story of a visit by John Mariani, a major American restaurant critic where it
seems as if just about everything goes wrong. The moral of this story to me is
its demonstration of how difficult it is to maintain 100% food quality in a
very good restaurant. There is a very good reason why the executive chef stands
at the expediter's table and checks on outgoing dishes. The connection between
the second and third essays is the fact that Symon and his new wife go to Napa
Valley to dine at the French Laundry restaurant for their honeymoon.
The third essay takes us to the very top of
the American culinary hierarchy of achievement. It deals with the career of
Thomas Keller, the owner and executive chef of The French Laundry. He has been
recognized as the best chef in California, followed by recognition as best chef
in the country by the James Beard awards. His quest for perfection is
legendary. It is no coincidence that Ruhlman is the co-author of Heller's `The
French Laundry Cookbook' as I am sure this essay was done at the same time as
he was working on the cookbook. Keller's reputation is well known among
foodies, so I won't dwell on it here. I will only recommend this essay, plus a
chapter in Tony Bourdain's `A Cooks Tour' as excellent profiles of this very
important American chef.
For knowledgeable foodies, this book is a pure
delight. Just knowing how to make pasta Puttanesca enhances one's enjoyment of
the story in the second essay. For non-foodies, the book will appeal as well or
better than other famous journalistic essays such as Tracy Kidder's `Soul of a
New Machine'. The book contains some recipes.
- B. Marold, Amazon.com
"The journey toward perfection" is a
delicious subtitle for this book that peeks into the lives of different chefs
(U.S.) and the extreme lives they lead. Fueled by an obsession for perfection,
for example, Thomas Keller of The French Laundry restaurant in California works
18-hour days, virtually 7 days a week. He creates prix fixe menus (hundreds of
dollars per person) of tiny portion delicacies served over 3-6 hours - the
action in the kitchen to make this rather bizarre eating experience happen is
riveting. Other chefs are presented, and their particular paths toward
perfection explored, and there is a description of the Master Chef exam at the
Culinary Institute of America that makes any harrowing examination experience
you've had seem hilariously trivial. Could not put it down - gave it as a gift
to 6 people this holiday.
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