Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School

Many people dream of becoming a chef, a landscape artist, or an author. Not many ever follow through. Katherine Darling gave up a secure and steady career at a literary agency to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. She shares her experiences "under the table" as very few could, with her literary, humorous background shining through like a bright star in a country sky. Maybe this is your dream. You have marvelous dinner parties, where your guests compliment you unendingly while secretly hoping they'll be invited to your next party. You love everything about cooking ... the planning, the shopping, the chopping and the delightful smell of every delicious dish drifting past your nose. Wouldn't it be great to cook for hundreds of people, who would rave about your talents and write letters to the editor about your amazing abilities? Katherine gives us an inside look at culinary school, a look which will enlighten your mind and tickle your funny bone. Inside the cover of this book, you'll get to know a variety of characters ... from professional chefs to culinary students ... all whose names have been changed to "protect the guilty - there are no innocents in chef school," Katherine tells us. As a bonus to her entertaining tales, she throws in 20 or so delicious recipes including my personal favorites ... Apple Bottom Gingerbread, The Most Decadent Potato Puree, and Momma's Rolls. If you enjoy cooking, food, and have a sense of humor, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book.

I picked up this book at my local library, frankly, because of the appealing cover. It was no surprise to later learn that Darling worked for a time in publishing. The blurb made me think I was going to get some scandalous retelling of the trials and tribulations of chef school, and although the chef instructors were never as rough as you're originally led to believe, Darling and her fellow students make for some interesting characters. It's a long book (at well over 300 pages), but the chapters are short, and most end with recipes. I appreciate the author's candor about not always having to be a perfect cook (at home), and most of the recipes are totally doable. Slight warning: if you're wondering about the outcome of her tenure in school, don't read the author's biography on the inner book jacket. If you're looking for The Devil Wears Chef's Clogs, then try again. But if you want a fairly quick read (despite the size) about food and how lowly dicers become tested chefs, then this book is for you. It made me hungry quite a bit, so be prepared.

I just finished Katherine Darling's book, and loved it. In the characters she describes, I could see myself and my own former classmates and teammates. I recognized the characters and the challenges well, although I've never been more than a willing amateur cook. The book itself is filled with complex, perfectly-crafted plates, but the included recipes are wonderful and accessible to even an unskilled chef. It's a great read particularly for the amateur cook, who loves the care, love and thought that go in to preparing even a simple meal for friends and family. The book will really resonate with those of us who have been truly challenged in any context while working towards a worthwhile, meaningful goal. (It's also the only place I've ever learned how to actually poach a perfect egg!)

I've been on a cookbook reading binge of late, so when I saw a woman reading this in the airport this weekend and laughing out loud, I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle. I found the writer's style was refreshing and humorous. Her descriptions of her Gallic chef instructors and their mannerisms had me giggling the whole way through and it is clear that Ms. Darling has a deep and passionate love of food, which really made me root for our heroine throughout the story. This book reinforced my love of cooking (I can't wait to try the Buttermilk Pie - it sounds divine) and I whole-heartedly recommend it to any food lover.

The perfect read for foodies, anyone thinking of going to culinary scool, even remotely, and just about anyone with a yen to know more about what goes on behind the scenes before the food arrives at a table in a restaurant. Having a couple dozen great appetite whetting recipes doesn't hurt, either