Spiced: A Pastry Chef's True Stories of Trials by Fire, After-Hours Exploits, and What Really Goes on in the Kitchen

Spiced, a memoir by Dalia Jurgensen throws open the kitchen doors, giving the reader an insider's look at restaurant work. From dishwashers to executive chefs, she spares none and tells all. This book is better than reality TV! I loved the descriptions; you can almost smell the chocolate in the molten chocolate cake. Some details I could have done without, such as an extremely brief lesbian encounter but this was part of her experience. She goes on to tell what it was like to be reviewed by top food editors, of being part of the staff that opens a brand new restaurant and the thrill of developing recipes for Martha Stewart's television show. Spiced is a fly on the wall experience you won't want to miss.

The fact that I read this book so quickly is a reflection of this author's command of the written word. She retells her rise from young enthusiastic intern to seasoned pastry chef with ease and affectionate wit. Having worked, myself, in restaurants for many years, I enjoyed revisiting the atmosphere of the kitchen through her experiences and found it hard to put this book down. Effortlessly, a clever and efficiently creative persona is revealed through both her writing and cooking styles. The scenes and characters are illustrated so concisely .. I feel like I know them, but I didn't have to labor through unnecessary, tireless details. She's given us just the right amount to keep the flavors enjoyable and distinct, like a good chef should.

As a serious foodie who's ALWAYS happy to talk food, the thought of actually working with food professionally has crossed my mind more than once, including apprenticing as a chef. And while Dalia Jurgensen's tell-all odyssey of her life as a pastry chef has put to paid that notion with a resounding "No!," it was so much fun and so well told that...well, I ate it up. :) Ms. Jurgensen began her career at NYC's Nobu, a very well-known restaurant in which I've eaten many times over the years. We learn just how grueling (there go those puns again) and intense the work is behind the scenes and how much those in food preparation have to love their work because the rewards, frankly, seem to be paltry for all but the most devoted given what's required of them, e.g., long hours, rather low pay, exposure to injury, and--most of all--stress. It's also confirmed what those of us in NYC who eat out have known for years: restaurants have an extremely high mortality rate, it's hard enough to coast on a good reputation much less try to get past one for mediocrity, and that a review from the New York Times can not only make or break you but worse, can break your heart as well despite your best efforts. I could have done without the less mainstream details of the author's love life but nevertheless, I was held in thrall and finished Spiced in one sitting (I have to admit that I developed a liking for Ms. Jurgenson when I discovered that we buy our honey and maple syrup from the same vendors at our local Green Market). This is a fun read for virtually anyone interested in the professional food scene and I'd just like to say that it would behoove Ms. Jurgensen to give our favorite apiary's raspberry rose honey a try. :)

"Spiced" is like standing in an out-of-the-way corner of a busy restaurant kitchen (there is no such place) and observing the craziness yourself. No pun intended, I devoured this book; veteran of quite a few restaurants as are described here myself, I felt an immediate empathy with Dalia as she resolutely holds her own amidst the old-boy, chauvanistic restauranting world. There aren't any recipes in this book, unless you can work them out from ingredients mentioned and implements used; instead, it is a recounting of one woman's triumphs and losses in this highly competitive, inherently crazy life of kitchens and their denizens. Every single thing here rings true; sometimes I wanted to laugh, sometimes I wanted to reach right through the printed page and whomp one or more juvenile cooks; but throughout, I cheered Dalia on. I haven't been in her shoes exactly; but from my much reduced position in a number of pretty high-class places, I've seen every behaviour she describes, and she appears to have carried off her role with aplomb, a more or less sane observer in an insane world. Chefs are a profane, egotistical, loud, sometimes juvenile, drunken bunch as a rule, and their methods of letting off steam might surprise the erudite and cultured patrons they serve; they are well represented here. Written with verve, humor, and a snappy style, with wonderful use of structure and vocabulary, this book was a joy to read. Some things will surprise you; some may mildly scandalize you; but you'll keep reading. Commendations to Dalia for surviving so well amongst this den of stress. She has produced a journal of experiences I could not put down. Absolutely outrageous and enjoyable.

This Is an interesting read, and should be required reading for anyone considering a career in the culinary arts. That includes young people and career changers. This would also be a good read for people who are simply interested in cooking, even if they don't intend to make a career out of it. Ms. Jugensen has a humble style of writing that really brings the reader into the kitchen, and vividly reveals the lifestyle and kitchen culture. The timeline of the book travels through some of the most buoyant times in the NYC restaurant industry. (roughly from 1995 through post 9/11 and the dot com crash. Say...2003) I particularly liked the frequent "starts and stops" of the author's career path. Described in 1 year, 2 year + stints., it provides the believable memoir great continuity, and reveals how professional relationships can influence your future job prospects and choices. Having worked in the culinary industry before, I can attest that her descriptions of the Kitchen culture and it's host of chef employees, is accurate, and more even handed than something like "Waiter Rant", which was more "crime novel" prose. The author was wide awake and paying attention during the collection of her topic over the years and is a triumph and testament to women working in the industry.