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Letters to a Young Chef
From the reinvention of French food through the fine dining revolution in America, Daniel Boulud has been witness to, and creator of, our contemporary food culture. A modern man with a classical foundation, he speaks with the authority that comes from a lifetime of experience, and no small amount of passion, about the vocation of creating and serving food. Part memoir, par...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
March 28th 2006
by Basic Books
(first published 2003)
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Part of the "Letters to a Young....." series, which includes Christopher Hitchens' "...Young Contrarian". Keep in mind that this is being written to an expected audience of younger people who might want to become a chef. Boulud gives a nice wrap up of how he got to where he is today, some nice life stories, and the best piece of advice - "you're young and inexperienced - check your ego at the door and do cater to the chef's vision, not your own." This would be gr...more
I'm a cooking geek, but I have enough self-awareness to know I probably wouldn't last two days on the line. So while I'm ordinarily resistant to celebrity memoirs, the opportunity to vicariously deglaze a pan full of roasted veal bones does keep drawing me to chef memoirs.
This slim volume showed up in an office book swap (I doubt I would have bothered getting it from the library, and certainly not paying money for it). It's kind of a rehash, if you've read anything else in the genre....more
This slim volume showed up in an office book swap (I doubt I would have bothered getting it from the library, and certainly not paying money for it). It's kind of a rehash, if you've read anything else in the genre....more
A quick read, and a good survey about the skills required to be a top chef--many, many other things besides loving food and knowing how to cook well.
It's interesting that someone on here thought, from this book, that Boulud has a big ego, because so much of this book is devoted to the importance of humility and why a big ego is just going to get in your way. I don't agree that he has a big ego, but he is confident in his advice, as he well should be, and his confidence serves the ...more
It's interesting that someone on here thought, from this book, that Boulud has a big ego, because so much of this book is devoted to the importance of humility and why a big ego is just going to get in your way. I don't agree that he has a big ego, but he is confident in his advice, as he well should be, and his confidence serves the ...more
Read this book for one of my culinary classes. It was written by a Chef to give more in site on becoming a chef. It was not too bad for a basic "personal" overview of the culinary world.
Candid, personal account of Boulud's experience and his recommendations for young chefs. Worth the read, though there is nothing groundbreaking about it.
A lot of his pointers on career development apply to any field of creative work done by teams.
The food focused chapters make me hungry.
The food focused chapters make me hungry.
Though some of the "Letters to" series are unbearably pretentious and portentious bullshit (cf. Robert Brustein's Letters to a Young Actor, or Dinesh D'Souza's Letters to a Young Conservative), this book is filled with practical, delicious information, beginning with the often-ignored difference between "cook" and "chef."
Boulud's organization sometimes seems haphazard; there's a lack of linear logic or clarity at times. But he's no-bullshit about what a...more
Boulud's organization sometimes seems haphazard; there's a lack of linear logic or clarity at times. But he's no-bullshit about what a...more
My 14 year old son wants to be a chef and I was hoping this book would be inspirational as well as having realistic advice. I found it to be good, but not great. It did give tips on making a professional omlet and how to prepare a good roast chicken, but I felt it needed a little more awareness of who the audience would be. It did inspire me to look up what fois gras is and know that froglegs are very popular where he grew up. I think Ethan might like this book when he gets a little older, but I...more
This is good quick read with some helpful tips.
super easy read and a great little book if you like foodie / cheffie stuffs!
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Elegantly and simply composed, this book gives pointers on how to succeed in life as well as how to be a great chef. Boulud points out that a chef cannot live the life of the average person because of the long hours and engagements during holidays. He also gives instructions on braising, roasting, and other means of applying heat to food. Best of all are his memories of growing up on a farm in France and his family's approach to growing and preparing food.
Yea, this I did not finish. Not really sure why I bought other than seeing it and remembering a recommendation from a chef at culinary school. I do not want to be a chef and have known this for awhile, the book was really just a list of all the reasons I already had for not wanting to be a chef. It also kind of makes those seeking careers in other culinary fields feel bad.
some interesting thoughts and insights into what makes a good chef but not very focused or well edited. and yes, he's known to be one of the best but he's definitely got an ego.
Solid, straightforward, no bs advice for anyone who really thinks they want to be a chef. For realzies.
Bueno para comenzar a meterte en lo que es el mundo dentro de las cocinas.
a little bit patronizing but great resource for a chef of ANY age
Every aspiring chef should read, but not necessarily follow.
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