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An amateur’s adventures as a kitchen slave

July 22nd, 2006 Liz - Central Library

I can relate to Bill Buford. He has the desire to make elaborate dinners for friends, but guests arrive to find him sweaty in the kitchen, standing in the middle of a mess and way behind.  Bill, in Heat, tries to do something about it, whereas I just don’t host dinner parties anymore.

But… Go Bill! He invites Mario Batali, famous NY chef, to one of these affairs and due to that meeting becomes a kitchen slave at Mario’s restaurant Babbo, then kitchen intern at Babbo, then traveller to Italy to learn at the feet of an experienced older Italian woman from the remote countryside.

If you liked the inside dish on restaurant kitchens in Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential you’ll like Bill’s book for a different reason.  Bourdain pulled back the curtain on life in a professional kitchen from the perspective of a professional. Bill does it from the perspective of an enthusiastic novice. What a fun read– that Bill is brave and willing to spend oodles of ‘free’ time gleaning whatever knowledge he can. He also names names and seems totally unafraid to show people at their best and near-worst. Enjoy.

Entry Filed under: Nonfiction