Books about chefs/restaurants

[Pendrench]

Hello -

I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good books about chefs or restaurants.

I'm not looking for cookbooks, but rather biographies or other non-fiction books about what its like to be a chef or work in a restaurant. I recently read "The Making of a Chef" and "The Soul of a Chef" (both by Michael Ruhlman) as well as a book called "The Fourth Star" and enjoyed all of them...so I was looking for something similar.

I haven't read "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly" by Anthony Bourdain - because I think I'm more interested in reading about the more positive aspects of this sort of work...so if anyone has any suggestions, I would be most grateful.

Thanks -

Tim

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

1. This is an AMAZING book:

...and unfortunately, it IS a cookbook, but it's filled with history and reminiscences and so it transcends that description in many ways.

At minimum I would suggest that you hunt it down in your local bookstore and peruse it from the racks.



Rao's Recipes from the Neighborhood : Frank Pelligrino Cooks Italian with Family and Friends (Hardcover)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312316364/102-7754533-4268951?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The titular neighborhood of Frank Pellegrino's Rao's: Recipes from the Neighborhood is Manhattan's East Harlem, home to an Italian immigrant population. The area also boasts Rao's, Pellegrino's Southern Italian restaurant that was discovered by local "worthies" and is now New York City's toughest reservation. The book, a follow-up to the bestselling Rao's Cookbook, offers 125 recipes for the kind of fare offered Rao's, and by Pellegrino's extended family and neighbors--dishes like Pizza Rustica, Penne Rigate with Cauliflower, Veal Milanese, and My Mother's Stuffed Calamari. This deeply satisfying, utterly unpretentious cooking is easy to do, but must be handled with care to avoid debasing an already hybrid cuisine. The book scores in this, offering exemplary versions of Old-to-New World dishes, and is neighborhood-authentic down to the use of American convenience products like garlic powder. Readers will also relish the wide recipe range, which includes sweets such as Simple Ricotta Cheesecake and Noni's Chocolate Ravioli, as well as Pellegrino's headnotes, which reveal who made what when. (Of the contributor of Wedding Soup, for example, he says, "his grandmother and my grandmother ... both came to America in 1911 in the same ship.") This flavorsome background, plus homey photos and other memorabilia like Our Kitchen Table make this modest book particularly welcome. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

With Rao's Cooks For The Neighborhood, Frank Pellegrino-of New York's celebrated East Harlem restaurant Rao's-returns to what he knows best: authentic Italian food. With over one hundred recipes and beautifully illustrated with both full-color and vintage black & white photographs, Rao's Cooks For The Neighborhood is Pellegrino's tribute to the place he grew up and the women who taught him how to cook. From Ida's baked chicken to Rose Milano's Spaghetti Frittata, everything a home cook needs to reproduce their favorite home-style meals is in this book.

This classic cookbook is filled with newly discovered recipes of generations past, as well as holiday cooking, kitchen secrets, and some of the favorite menu items from Rao's. It's a love story devoted to Italian family cooking and its heritage. Every single dish is easy to prepare and satisfying to eat. Rao's Cooks For The Neighborhood will be eagerly awaited by readers who loved The Rao's Cookbook, but will also attract new fans who have come to know Rao's through the successful national brand of sauces sold throughout the U.S.

[flamingyouth]

2. "Appetite for Life" by Noel Fitch Riley

It's a wonderful biography of Julia Child (written before she died, although maybe it's been updated, I'm not sure). A really wonderful book. :hi:

[mrsadm]

3. I would recommend "The Apprentice, My Life in the Kitchen"

by Jacques Pepin, his autobiography. Very pleasant to read.

[xchrom]

5. i agree and many of the books

by mfk fisher -- though her books are really about food and living, not restaurants.

[Pendrench]

4. Thanks for the wonderful suggestions!!

Wow - that was quick! I really appreciate all of your suggestions.

To be honest with you, I've never worked in a restaurant and I can barely boil water (ask my wife!) but books like this fascinate me. Its amazing how these people are able to work in such a frenetic environment...I know that I couldn't do it.

Again, thank you all very much.

Tim

[soothsayer]

6. Kitchen Confidential is a great book, not really that negative, just

a different point of view. He DOES admit he has seen sane, calm kitchens, so not all are as chaotic as his. His other book, A Cook's Tour, is really enjoyable too (with just a couple of gory spots).

[Pendrench]

7. Thanks for the info.

I think that I'll check it out - I've actually seen him several times on the Food Network (and I've heard good things about the "Cook's Tour" book).

Have you ever read any of Michael Palin's travel books (or seen the shows)? They are very good.

Thanks again -

Tim

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

8. I don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for

but I found it very interesting.

A Meal Observed by Andrew Todhunter

He & his wife had dinner at Taillevent, a Michelin three-star restaurant considered by many critics to be the finest restaurant in France.

He also apprenticed there for a while & interviewed the chefs.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375410856/102-9339139-4968968?v=glance

[Pendrench]

10. Thanks for the suggestion - this sounds good! n/t

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

9. I've not read it, but

this was mentioned in the Independent on Sunday magazine & it made me think of your request:

Tough Cookies: Tales Of Obsession, Toil And Tenacity From Britain's Culinary Heavyweights

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/186197910X/102-7058620-6156156?%5Fencoding=UTF8

There's a review here:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/houseandgarden/0,6121,1446172,00.html

[Pendrench]

11. Thank you very much - I may have to order this one today! n/t

[troubleinwinter]

12. 'Sacramental Magic in a Small Town Cafe', by Peter Reinhart

His first book. He also wrote 'Brother Juniper's Bread Book', 'Crust and Crumb' and 'The Breadmaker's Apprentice' (winner of both IACP award and James Beard award).

His first book is a very enjoyable read. It is now out of print, I believe, but available at Amazon.

[Pendrench]

13. Thanks for the suggestion - I'll have to see if I can find a copy!