The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection Paperback – August 1, 2001

This is a very interesting and enjoyable collection of three in-depth sections. The first has author Ruhlman shadow a group of seven professional chefs taking the Certified Master Chef exam at the CIA facility at Hyde Park, NY. Ruhlman spends the most time with, and seems to root for, Brian Palcyn from Detroit. The grueling pace of the week of twice-a-day tests comes across in the writing, as does the sense that the examiners care less for taste than for technical exactitude, with most of the participants not earning their CMC. He's troubled by the experience, though he can't yet put his finger on why.He then moves on Michael Symon's restaurant Lola in Ruhlman's own Cleveland. Ruhlman is caught up in the fun vibe at Lola, which pervades both the dining room and the kitchen. Again Ruhlman roots for his adopted favorite as important NY-based food reporters visit the restaurant. Though Symon serves a soggy pasta dish, which the critic responds to by saying, "He knows nothing about pasta", the critic can't help but feel the joy and fun that the customers experience.Finally he has a lengthy session on Thomas Keller's French Laundry, and the amazingly innovative dishes that Keller and he highly trained staff produce. Though Keller is exacting inside the kitchen, he doesn't let that feeling out into the dining rooms, where customers are delighted by every serving.In his postscript chapter, Ruhlman finally figures out what disturbed him about the CMC exam. He writes that the purpose of cooking, particularly restaurant cooking is to give people pleasure and fun. Symon's restaurant had a sense of fun in front and back of the house. Keller's restaurant was like a monastery in the kitchen, but the customers had an amazingly pleasurable experience. But the CMC examiners weren't testing for fun, and gave no points for the fun or pleasure that a chef's dishes might bring. It's an excellent summation of the book.

I am fortunate to be currently employed in a good paying job with an excellent quality of life yet still I am logically and instinctively aware that I am outside the target audience for this audible on The Soul of a Chef. I admit that I checked out the Amazon audible version The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman more with the intent to broaden my understanding of the world of cooking as told from a chef’s perspective (as I am in the process of being more decisive and clear on what I prefer goalwise in my career life). Some of the helpful points of the audible; intensive information was shared on what attending cooking classes are like from the students taking them. There is even information to candidly suggest that it was a delicate balance of getting some of the culinary students to open up safe that their disclosures would be exploitation free. One of the profiles of the culinary students discussed was of a man who was 43 at the time of the audible and he had been cooking since the time he was 13. Information is included to explain what the CMC (Certified Master Chef) exam is like and some of the reasons why the test is rigorous and more.

This book is almost like three separate short stories, which makes it an easy read and keeps things interesting. Part 1 focuses on the CMC Exam, which is a professional certification given by the CIA (this is NOT the exam that CIA students take to graduate from the school). Ruhlman does a fantastic job writing about the exam in a way that has you biting your knuckles with suspense as if you were watching a sports event. His descriptions of the franttic lead-up to service for each section of the test and the judging panels provide serious drama. However, I did find the detail about classical cooking methods tedious to read at times.Part 2 focuses on Cleveland chef Michael Symon, who was a rising star on the culinary scene at the time and is now an Iron Chef on Iron Chef America. It's a light-hearted section compared to Part 1 and showcases Symon's bubbly personality, a critical factor in the success of his restaurant. I loved learning more about Symon's background, cooking style, personality, and business philosophy after seeing him on numerous cooking shows. He's kind of a bad@ss and does food his own way while winning respect in the culinary industry.Part 3 focuses on Thomas Keller and "The French Laundry", widely considered the best chef and restaurant in the country. Ruhlman focuses on how Keller got to where he is despite no formal training and growing up in a family that was never focused on food.Ruhlman might be my favorite food writer and his second book doesn't disappoint.For more reviews, check out my blog, Sarah's Book Shelves.

This book is worth reading for the portrayal of (in my opinion) the greatest American Chef this land has ever know, Thomas Keller. I learned more about what drives this Zen-master of cooking in this book than any articles I have read about Chef Keller or even from his drool-worthy cookbook.Michael Ruhlman is a great journalist. He has heart and is a passionate food writer. He doesn't go as in-depth as I would perhaps but he brings a chef's sensibility from his own experiences to his writing which I enjoyed. He profiles two other chefs (Michael Symon, another of my favorite chefs and Brian Polcyn from the Detroit area)and a number of other character surrounding these chefs under extraordinarily different circumstances and is able to create them in as enigmatic but real people in the process.His Epilogue was brilliantly done and wrapped it up nicely, I felt sad to see it end but look forward to reading his next book - The Reach of a Chef.This is required reading for anyone who wants to be a Chef, love a Chef or just admire a Chef.I am a fan of Ruhlman's for life and will read everything he has written. I know I am gushing but seriously, I was transported in this book yet left grounded at the same time. That's a rare gift in a writer.