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56th out of 110 books
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Don't Try This at Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME
Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs
A hilarious and heartening collection of kitchen disasters.
In this raucous new collection, over forty of the world's greatest chefs relate outrageous true tales from their kitchens. From hiring a blind line cook to flooding the room with meringue to being terrorized by a French owl, these behind-the...more
Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs
A hilarious and heartening collection of kitchen disasters.
In this raucous new collection, over forty of the world's greatest chefs relate outrageous true tales from their kitchens. From hiring a blind line cook to flooding the room with meringue to being terrorized by a French owl, these behind-the...more
Hardcover, 308 pages
Published
October 5th 2005
by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(first published 2005)
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I'll admit that though I'm a very good cook, and with my partner own somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 cookbooks, I don't own cookbooks by any of the chefs represented in this collection. I have nothing against them, but I've never heard of most of them. This means that I read the anthology without a picture of anyone (except Anthony Bourdain) or any orienting knowledge of them. Not a Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Marian Burros, Mark Bittman, or Nigella Lawson in sight.
The 41 authors vary sign...more
The 41 authors vary sign...more
I only recognized the names of a few of the chefs who have contributed anecdotes of their mistakes, shared the behind-the-scene antics and admitted how they fooled customers.
Thanks to the Food Network and other cable TV shows, chefs like Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain and Marcus Samuelsson are folks I've heard of and can even recognize.
Most of the people whose kitchen bombs are made public in this 2005 compilation may have Michelin stars and James Beard awards, but their names mean nothing to me...more
Thanks to the Food Network and other cable TV shows, chefs like Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain and Marcus Samuelsson are folks I've heard of and can even recognize.
Most of the people whose kitchen bombs are made public in this 2005 compilation may have Michelin stars and James Beard awards, but their names mean nothing to me...more
Don't Try This at Home is a collection of essays told by a goodly number of celebrity chefs, recounting some of their misadventures in their chosen field. There's a mix of names, some famous to most people, some to those that would be familiar to those that are serious foodies. Each story is unique as are the voices telling the story. Kimberly Witherspoon does a lovely job of bringing these voices together and keeping the different tones each chef brings.
Sadly, that editing becomes a double-edge...more
Sadly, that editing becomes a double-edge...more
Cast in its most positive light, with the exception of language that is, in my opinion, inappropriate to the situation or the reading audience, this collection of chefs' "outrageous true tales" depicts the restaurant industry as the "downstairs" of the Public Television series Upstairs Downstairs.
What societal pressures created these often mean spirited chefs and cooks who cannot ask for help, identify that they even need help, or acknowledge (at the time, to the customer) the food "catastrophe...more
What societal pressures created these often mean spirited chefs and cooks who cannot ask for help, identify that they even need help, or acknowledge (at the time, to the customer) the food "catastrophe...more
"The lobsters are off!"
...is not something you want to hear when you are catering a dinner for thirty-two hundred people.
And this is only one dilemma faced by chefs and would-be-chefs in this book of collected tales detailing all that can AND WILL go wrong in the culinary world.
Here is every disaster imaginable, from an overly sensitive sprinkler system to a kitchen floor squirming with escaped eels.
Mario Batali exacts a "salty" revenge before walking out on a nightmare boss.
Anthony Bourdain spi...more
...is not something you want to hear when you are catering a dinner for thirty-two hundred people.
And this is only one dilemma faced by chefs and would-be-chefs in this book of collected tales detailing all that can AND WILL go wrong in the culinary world.
Here is every disaster imaginable, from an overly sensitive sprinkler system to a kitchen floor squirming with escaped eels.
Mario Batali exacts a "salty" revenge before walking out on a nightmare boss.
Anthony Bourdain spi...more
A mixed bag of kitchen disaster stories from chefs - many of whom I actually recognized, thanks to Top Chef and the Food Network shows - Wylie Dufresne, Marcus Samuelsson, Jaimie Oliver, etc. There were a few duds, mostly the ones about being drunk or getting drunk (Anthony Bourdain covered all that ages ago), but I chuckled at most of them. Enjoyed Tom Colicchio's stories about travel engagements gone awry (and how he fixed them) and the Sara Moulton's chapter about an ego-deflating Thanksgivin...more
While there were the expected "Oh no! I dropped the food!" stories here, there was enough variety of catastrophe (getting unexpectedly slammed on an opening night, say, or unknowingly away turning Jackie O.) to keep the book from getting repetitive--though many of the chef/writer/catastrophe-havers did use the tale-telling opportunity to also note how quick of mind and deft of hand they are in a crisis. I do not fault them for this.
My one "huh?" moment came when I finished Chef Michael Lomonaco'...more
My one "huh?" moment came when I finished Chef Michael Lomonaco'...more
So many people have become enamoured with the idea of living the life of a celebrity chef - -cooking/eating on TV, guest hosting at incredible food festivals, books & cookware deals, etc. Many don't realize that many of these chefs got into the business before things became glamorous for a dedicated few back of house (BOH) staff.
This book is a compilation of some of the most famous & most respected chefs in the world as they share their experiences: some humorous, some humiliating, and a...more
This book is a compilation of some of the most famous & most respected chefs in the world as they share their experiences: some humorous, some humiliating, and a...more
A very funny, over the top collection of stories from famous chefs, both television or not. This one looks at those days when things go very very very wrong, and a chef finds themselves in the middle of chaos. Considering that many in that chaos are angry, have short tempers and are usually handling sharp knives, heavy items or scalding water, it can get real ugly, real fast. A terrific read for any foodie and cautionary tales for those who are considering a career as a professional chef. Recomm...more
This book is a collection of anecdotes about kitchen/cooking disasters by many of the most famous chefs in the world. The table of contents lists each chef and what page their chapter is on, so it's easy to skip around and read favorites first if you want.
By the time most of us hear about these men and women, they are at the top of their game, so it's refreshing (and rather courageous on their part) to hear of a big past mistake or failure. It's personally helpful to see reminders in the context...more
By the time most of us hear about these men and women, they are at the top of their game, so it's refreshing (and rather courageous on their part) to hear of a big past mistake or failure. It's personally helpful to see reminders in the context...more
Jun 21, 2011
Lianne
added it
An anthology of emergency moments in the kitchen. 37 famous chefs confess about their moments of greatest challenge. Many of the stories date from their beginning years. My two favorite stories both involve dealing with animals. Wylie Dufresne deals with an unexpected visitor in his room at a French hotel where he is an intern by asking the baker to come to his room. Scott Conant describes what happened when a shipment of 500 pounds of live eels crashed out of their containers. Though sometimes...more
Don't try *what* at home? Acting like a pompous chef who knows it all and wants to tell you that you certainly don't? Reminds me of Chopped on the Food Network where some chefs get all snotty because they went to culinary school and other chefs, sorry 'cooks', didn't. There is only one true way of judging food - did you enjoy it or not? Who cares who prepared it or what training they had? If the food is awful then the fact it was prepared by a graduate of the Culinary Arts Institute isn't going...more
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The book contains essays from famous chefs about their culinary disasters. Due to the sheer amount of writers, the result is unavoidably a mixed bag. Some, such as David Thompson and Anthony Bourdain, are great writers. Others miss the theme. The rest should not be allowed to write.
The tales range from the tame (mostly about brawls in the kitchen ala Kitchen Confidential) to the outrageous (hiring a blind cook? Perhaps Chef Hamilton was forced by political correctness not to ask for any illness...more
The tales range from the tame (mostly about brawls in the kitchen ala Kitchen Confidential) to the outrageous (hiring a blind cook? Perhaps Chef Hamilton was forced by political correctness not to ask for any illness...more
Food is fast becoming entertainment, so it’s only natural that it should follow in the footsteps of sports and show business and offer up a collection of bloopers. Literary agent Witherspoon and food writer Friedman corralled 40 gastronomic heavyweights to share their versions of dinners gone wrong. The highlight is, unsurprisingly, the piece by chef and bestselling author Anthony Bourdain. His “New Year’s Meltdown” is a case study in what happens when you don’t plan (Bourdain admits, “Nobody li...more
Several of the stories are similar or tend to drift but some of the stories in here are hysterical. Some contained more reflections than horror stories, but it still lent a very human aspect to some of the more well known chefs. It also help drive in the point of how hard a job it is and how much is done for love of food.[return][return]I wish I had kept better track of some of the folks where I liked the writing. I probably will hunt down a few books just from reading them in here.
This book is a bunch of different scenarios of famous chefs. It is educational because I feel like I really get to know the kitchen world. Because each story is by a different person, not all of them who speak English as a first language, and probably none of which are inspiring writers, I feel like some of the stories are not really that interesting. Also, because it is just a collection of stories, I don't feel the huge desire to finish reading quickly like many other books.
A bit disappointing... not nearly as entertaining as it seems it would be from the title. Some of them were genuine "catastrophes," but a lot of the stories just seemed like chances for the chefs to brag about the famous people that came into their famous restaurants.
Last summer I read a book similar to this, a collection of stories from when these people were just starting out in the business. It was similarly not impressive. Not sure I'll try this type of book again.
Last summer I read a book similar to this, a collection of stories from when these people were just starting out in the business. It was similarly not impressive. Not sure I'll try this type of book again.
Anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant business could tell a story about it..one that could either make you laugh or cry. I have just re-read this book for the 4th time and it still brings tears to my eyes; it's that funny.
This is the most entertainment a person could get from some the the worlds greatest chefs. The mix between personality and REAL situations they find themselves in. Im just really glad these chefs shared their stories and someone put into a book.
This is the most entertainment a person could get from some the the worlds greatest chefs. The mix between personality and REAL situations they find themselves in. Im just really glad these chefs shared their stories and someone put into a book.
I read through this over the weekend. If you like food competitions, industry insider information, can name your top 5 favorite chefs, you'll probably enjoy this. It's filled with funny stories, mostly told in a very prosaic style. It's the content that you'll enjoy, not the style, with a few notable exceptions (Anthony!Bourdain! and Susan Feniger.) Tom Colicchio's "Top Chef" blog has greatly improved his writing as well. The book made me want to eat!
I love cooking and I love reading about others cooking, especially master chefs like these guys. This is a collection of short stories about mishaps in the kitchen, the restaurant business, etc. Includes celebrity chefs like Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. Many I've never heard of. Pretty entertaining so far. "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain is a full long book about stuff like this. Highly readable, even if you don't love cooking or food.
not everyone that can cook like a master can write like a master. The central theme is understood by everyone in the business, that being no matter what happens in the kitchen you must be able to think on your feet and keep pushing forward.
There was the night I went toe to toe with our new cook from Mali who received the ticket intended for my station at his, and I caught him throwing it on the floor. The kitchen manager needed us to focus as it was 8p.m. on a friday night. He got our attentio...more
There was the night I went toe to toe with our new cook from Mali who received the ticket intended for my station at his, and I caught him throwing it on the floor. The kitchen manager needed us to focus as it was 8p.m. on a friday night. He got our attentio...more
I liked the essays by Bourdain and Batali, but they were among the very few chefs collected in this book whose names I was familiar with. The other essays in this collection didn't strike me as terribly enjoyable cold reads — not very well written, rather dull in content, and tagged with a moral ending as often as not. DNF.
I have also incidentally drenched my copy of this with red wine. Whoops. At least it's a cooking book so an artful splatter of wine kinda matches... tangentially, anyway.
I have also incidentally drenched my copy of this with red wine. Whoops. At least it's a cooking book so an artful splatter of wine kinda matches... tangentially, anyway.
Not all chefs are writers but they all have something to say! The field of chefdom and cooking is ripe for one kind of disaster or another, and they're pretty amusing. Some of the stories had me laughing out loud. Makes me feel better about some of my own culinary mistakes and diasters. I was interested to see how many of the chefs I recognized from Iron Chef America, Top Chef, or Top Chef Masters.
Very funny!
It may get tedious for some, as many of the stories are chefs showing off their ability to be quick-witted under extreme pressure. But I found the solutions to always be creative and amusing.
Every so often something happens to you and you feel the need to make five gallons of shots, and force them on hte entire kitchen staff over the course of the dinner rush. I want the balls to do that.
It may get tedious for some, as many of the stories are chefs showing off their ability to be quick-witted under extreme pressure. But I found the solutions to always be creative and amusing.
Every so often something happens to you and you feel the need to make five gallons of shots, and force them on hte entire kitchen staff over the course of the dinner rush. I want the balls to do that.
This was a plenty enjoyable read. Lots of language (it's a book about professional chefs, so it wasn't surprising to me at all). There were some stories that were laugh out loud hilarious, others that were sweet, and others that were merely 'meh'. Still, it was a quick read. Plus I just love reading about food and the restaurant business. What can I say?
If you've never had the pleasure of scooping five gallons of Hollandaise sauce off the floor of an rusty Datsun station wagon in the midst of an LA traffic jam, 15 minutes before you're supposed to be catering a function...or even if you have...then be prepared for a great read! (P.S. Enough black pepper, and you'll camouflage the dirt from the floor.)
Perhaps there's a reason these folks are chefs and not writers. I read a few of these essays, and I *love* reading cooking- and food-related nonfiction...but after a few I was ready to put this one back on the shelf. Even with what must have been extensive editing, these stories failed to capture me. Chefs with egos too high to admit that they ever do anything wrong (it's always the other crazy people in the kitchen) are just annoying; those that actually admitted *they* may have screwed things...more
This book kept me engaged and laughing all the way through. In fact, it would have received the full complement of five stars but for the formatting. I've recently noticed that many previously-published books are transferred to e-book status rather automatically, with little to no human intervention. Thus, "I" is frequently rendered as the numeral "1," there are paragraph breaks in the middle of paragraphs, and in one of the essays "Chicken Pollo Loco" is repeatedly referred to as "Chicken Polio...more
The best bargain book I've purchased! It's so great to see that even the best chefs in the world have fiascos in the kitchen. Two of my memorable f*%@ ups...a cheesecake without sugar and a hot spinach dip where the glass pan split in half as I took it out of the oven. I don't think catching the hot holder on fire at Thanksgiving really counts :)
Very inspiring to read about disasters encountered by the greats! When you're having a bad day and just don't think you can push through whatever job related issue you're facing, crack this book open and get inspiration from chefs who have pushed through the wall and made it big. Including stories that teach lessons of honesty, hard work, humbleness, etc., this is an easy to pick up put down type book that will keep you entertained.
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