Becoming a Chef: With Recipes and Reflections from America's Leading Chefs

I am going to culinary school in a few months and that's what sparked my interest in buying this book, and I am sure glad I did! I have read it through several times, this book gives so much helpful advice to the young people who want to be in the culinary field. I really like that they have insight from so many different well-known chefs throughout the entire book.

This book takes you in-depth into the life and passion of a chef using well-known chefs as examples. It's a breath of fresh air with insights to inspire and aspire. You'll love this book whether you are just curious or you're already in the business. You'll find out how common the lives of well-known chefs are from their struggles to their road to success.

AS a professional of 10 years now(currently working with Wolfgang Puck), this book should be a must read before you commit to being a chef. It gives a realistic look into what working in the high end kitchens in the World is REALLY like.(The long hours, heat, working sick, tempers,low pay, etc.) What you see on cooking shows is staged and is not a indication of the day to day grind that a kitchen hits you with. Most people have NO IDEA what they are getting themselves into! I suggest to anyone who is considering taking on the challenge of earning the title "Professional Chef"-REad this book, get a job in kitchen before you spend money on cooking school to see if you like it, and ask yourself-do you love food, or do you just think it would be a glory filled way to fame?

This book takes the reader beyond the glamour of the celebrity chef and into the fire. Anyone considering entering the culinary feild must read this book. The authors speak with passion about the food culture and what is required to acheive success.

Let's not mince our praise: BECOMING A CHEF is one of the best books ever written about the back-of-the-house side of the restaurant business. Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page interviewed more than 60 top chefs for this entertaining and enlightening look at the culinary profession.Jeremiah Tower (formerly) of San Francisco's Stars reveals that he originally wanted to be an architect. Todd English of Olives (Boston, etc.) reminisces about watching his grandmother make potato gnocchi. Andre Soltner, the living legend formerly of Lutece in New York City, waxes philosophical about love -- in his estimable opinion, the most important ingredient in any dish. Perhaps Norman Van Aken of Norman's in Coral Gables, Florida, sums it up best: "This is not a profession that you choose. It chooses you."In addition to life lessons and some 50 recipes from the usual suspects (Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud, Emeril Lagasse, etc.), the book includes a brief history of the culinary profession; a chapter on opening and operating your own restaurant; and listings of culinary organizations, publications, and cooking schools in the U.S. and abroad.For the uninitiated as well as those who have already found their calling in the kitchen, BECOMING A CHEF is a must-read.