
The back must slave to feed the belly. . . . In this urgent and unique book, chef Michael Gibney uses twenty-four hours to animate the intricate camaraderie and culinary choreography in an upscale New York restaurant kitchen. Here readers will find all the details, in rapid-fire succession, of what it takes to deliver an exceptional plate of foodthe journey to excellence by way of exhaustion.Told in second-person narrative, Sous Chef is an immersive, adrenaline-fueled run that offers a fly-on-the-wall perspective on the food service industry, allowing readers to briefly inhabit the hidden world behind the kitchen doors, in real time. This exhilarating account provides regular diners and food enthusiasts alike a detailed insiders perspective, while offering fledgling professional cooks an honest picture of what the future holds, ultimately giving voice to the hard work and dedication around which chefs have built their careers.In a kitchen where the highest standards are upheld and one misstep can result in disaster, Sous Chef conjures a greater appreciation for the thought, care, and focus that go into creating memorable and delicious fare. With grit, wit, and remarkable prose, Michael Gibney renders a beautiful and raw account of this demanding and sometimes overlooked profession, offering a nuanced perspective on the craft and art of food and service....
Title | : | Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 9780804177870 |
Format Type | : | Hardcover |
Number of Pages | : | 240 pages |
Url Type | : | Home » Sous » Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line |
Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line Reviews
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The single biggest thing I miss from leaving Los Angeles more than a decade ago is its vast array of restaurants. My preference usually swings toward those purveyors of the outré dishes as delectably described by Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic of the LA Times Jonathan Gold, rather than the trendy bistros and brasseries that garner Zagat raves and Michelin Stars. (Quite frankly, there's just nothing more gastronomically appealing than scoring a Korean taco from a mobile truck, or discovering ...more
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*I received an ARC through a GoodReads contest. My thanks to the author.
This book tells you everything you ever wanted to know and more… MUCH more… about what goes on behind the scenes in the kitchen of a fine dining establishment. I considered this to be a bit overwhelming, as I am not in the food industry, and this was much more information than I ever wanted or needed. However, I read every single word and have the glazed eyes to prove it.
I think this book is more suited for those who current ...more -
I bought this on sale today and could not put it down. Written in second person, you feel as if you are there in the kitchen. Luckily, I love TV chef shows, so I had some familiarity with the terminology. I love this kind of behind-the-scenes book.
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I'd rate this 4.5 stars.
From the moment I realized I loved to cook (and realized I was good at it), I had a dream of becoming a chef someday, of perhaps having my own little restaurant, where I could decide a menu based on what looked good at the market, and cook for people who loved food. Sure, television shows like Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen made being a chef look a little less appealing, but those shows are enhanced for their dramatic value, right?
Michael Gibney's terrific book, Sous Chef: 2 ...more -
Thanks to Random House for an ARC which I received last year and only picked up this year. Michael Gibney tells the story of a day in his life as a sous chef in a high end New York kitchen. I was a waitress in college and I have friends in the food industry, so the material was not unfamiliar. I initially had trouble getting into the story, but once I got used to the style, I sailed through. He writes very well, about the food itself, the preparation and the hectic nature of a professional kitch ...more
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We following our narrator's 24 hour whirlwind experience in an upscale restaurant. I learned it might be good to arrive ahead of the crush to receive optimal attention to your meal. I learned a lot of fancy french words like my new favorite soigne (swan-ya) from the verb Soigner meaning tended to, looked after, cared for. In the kitchen, basically the strive for perfection-first quality ingredients, prepared with the best technique and served beautifully... to every guest. I learned about the hi ...more
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I love cooking, love watching cooking shows, especially competitions (like Chopped and Iron Chef), so I went into this book thinking that I would love seeing behind the scenes. I am sure I would have, had it been written by someone else. But right from the start, I knew it was going to be horrible. The author read the preface and could barely muster even an ounce of enthusiasm. If the author doesn't even seem to give a damn about what he wrote, how the hell can the reader be expected to? This wa ...more
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Four and a half stars, rounded up.
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Sous Chef is a nonfiction book that lets the reader experience what it is like to be a sous chef in a kitchen for a twenty-four hour period of time. The pressures, defeats, victories, and the massive amount of work are all beautifully illustrated in the text, immersing the reader in the culinary world and all it has to offer.
When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. In addition to being a foodie to the core, I'm also the daughter of an executive chef. I' ...more