Making of a Chef or Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook

Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America

Author: Michael Ruhlman

"Well reported and heartfelt, Ruhlman communicates the passion that draws the acolyte to this precise and frantic profession."—The New York Times Book Review

Just over a decade ago, journalist Michael Ruhlman donned a chef’s jacket and houndstooth-check pants to join the students at the Culinary Institute of America, the country’s oldest and most influential cooking school. But The Making of a Chef is not just about holding a knife or slicing an onion; it’s also about the nature and spirit of being a professional cook and the people who enter the profession. As Ruhlman—now an expert on the fundamentals of cooking—recounts his growing mastery of the skills of his adopted profession, he propels himself and his readers through a score of kitchens and classrooms in search of the elusive, unnameable elements of great food.

Incisively reported, with an insider’s passion and attention to detail, The Making of a Chef remains the most vivid and compelling memoir of a professional culinary education on record.

Library Journal

Beginning with Skills One, where Chef Pardus guides his charges through the complexities of creating a perfect stock, journalist Ruhlman provides an insider's view of the exacting program that many consider to be the best formal training a chef can partake of in this country. In his condensed tour of duty at the attractive, suberbly equipped upstate New York campus of the CIA, Ruhlman spends six months sampling the arduous 81-week regimen the institute employs to both educate and toughen students for the competitive, frantic environment of cooking in fine restaurants. Discerning character sketches introduce the diverse group as the author explores the passion for fine food that makes them pursue this difficult calling. An examination of the curriculum and its philosophical framework is provided along with profiles of the master chefs who deliver this demanding training. The program ends in the institute's restaurants, where recently acquired skills and knowledge are put to the test as students perform everything from menu planning to serving actual customers. Although Jeff Riggenbach's reading is too pedestrian for the occasional comic moments, this audio is recommended for larger cooking collections.--Linda Bredengerd, Hanley Lib., Univ. of Pittsburgh, Bradford, PA

School Library Journal

YA The Culinary Institute of America is known as "the Harvard of cooking schools" and many of this country's best-known chefs are graduates. Ruhlman enrolled as a student with the intention of writing this book, which begins as a chronicle of the intense, high-pressure grind of classes and cooking. However, it turns into an engrossing personal account as, his every effort critiqued, the author determines to become a student and not just impersonate one. YAs will enjoy Ruhlman's anecdotes about his instructors and his classmatessome of whom are still in their teens. The appendix offers a chart showing the course work for associate degrees. This will appeal to anyone aspiring to a career as a chef as well as to those interested in food preparation, presentation, and the restaurant industry in America.Patricia Noonan, Prince William Public Library, VA

Books about economics: The Facilitator Excellence Handbook or Keys to Medical Assisting

Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook: Trim Down with 300 Appetizing Recipes

Author: Nancy Maar

Packed with 300 tasty, healthy recipes, The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook is designed to accommodate those watching their blood sugar levels. The glycemic index is a measure of how foods affect blood glucose levels, which in turn affects the rate of digestion. It's especially useful for those watching their weight, and those with diabetes who need to regulate their sugar intake. Using the nutritional information included with each recipe, readers can determine the amount of fat, carbs, calories, and protein in each serving, in addition to the glycemic load (the overall rating of ingredients on the glycemic index).Features recipes for:

Family dinners

Salads and soups

Vegetarian dishes

Healthy snacks

The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook is a handy tool for coordinating meals with dietary needs, creating a healthy diet, and achieving weight loss-not to mention good eating!

Author Biography:
Nancy T. Maar (South Norwalk, CT) is the coauthor of The Everything Gluten-Free Cookbook. She is a full-time career journalist writing for upscale magazines and newspapers, with expertise in the areas of the arts, healthcare, fashion, food, and cooking. She has created and written original food and restaurant columns. Ms. Maar holds a BA from Russell Sage College and has taken courses at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as seminars in marketing and communications.