Rating: 
Summary: Tasty Inspiration!
Review: "Becoming a Chef" serves up a delicious blend of encouragement for the aspiring chef, information for the beginner, mouth-watering whimsy, and best of all, a smorgasboard of recipes ranging from grandma's favorite to the newest culinary trends.
This tasty tome was equally fascinating to me, a cooking novice, and my kitchen-fanatic fiancee who dreams of attending the Culinary Institute of America. (In fact, we ended up squabbling about who was going to read it, and decided to share it together - our perusal took all afternoon!) It simultaneously provides insight into the glories of gourmet cooking and its idiosyncracies.
For the chef in your life, or just for fascinating reading, be sure to pick this up!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and invaluable!
Review: "Finally, a book that lets chefs speak for themselves! An insightful look at the complex life of a professional chef. Fascinating portraits of the people who have defined American cuisine -- who they are, and how they got to be where they are today. Anyone who is interested in becoming a chef will find this book invaluable: This is what it takes to make it."
--MARK MILLER, chef-owner, Coyote Cafe (Santa Fe, NM)
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and invaluable!
Review: "Finally, a book that lets chefs speak for themselves! An insightful look at the complex life of a professional chef. Fascinating portraits of the people who have defined American cuisine -- who they are, and how they got to be where they are today. Anyone who is interested in becoming a chef will find this book invaluable: This is what it takes to make it."
--MARK MILLER, chef-owner, Coyote Cafe (Santa Fe, NM)
Rating: 
Summary: Rave Reviews of BECOMING A CHEF:
Review: "One of the top 5 Editors' Choice cookbooks of the year....Eye-opening, charmingly written smorgasbord of sage advice....Makes for terrific reading even if you don't want to work in a restaurant or actually open one." -- THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE * "One of the best books ever written about the back-of-the-house side of the restaurant business....Entertaining and enlightening....A must-read." -- RESTAURANT HOSPITALITY * "Its insight into the philosophy of chefdom today is invaluable." -- Alison Arnett, THE BOSTON GLOBE * "Much-needed and immensely useful." -- Bonnie Lee Black, BEARD HOUSE MAGAZINE * "Quite possibly the only book of its kind....A useful, informative book about how successful chefs got their start." -- Lois Blinkhorn, THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL * "Intriguing....Fascinating....It is a very important book." -- Anthony Dias Blue, WCBS Radio * "One of the most unique and engrossing books I've read in a long time." -- Joan Brett, THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE * "Offers excellent advice and wisdom." -- JeanMarie Brownson, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE * "A serious, unromantic look at the restaurant business. The personal accounts of success and early failure are often as funny or frightening as they are intriguing and informative." -- Rod Cockshutt, THE RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER * "Not for would-be chefs only....Contains tidbits of wisdom for all business warriors." -- Judith Dobrzynski, THE NEW YORK TIMES business section * "This fascinating book paints an up-close, behind-the-scenes picture of the world of food." -- Suzanne Hough, D magazine * "You'll love BECOMING A CHEF." -- Matt Lauer, "The Today Show on NBC * "Well worth giving or receiving." -- Anne Mendelsohn, GOURMET * "Superb....A book rich with anecdote, insight and passion....In all, a completely absorbing book." -- Ann Shayne, BOOK PAGE * "Fun to read, informative, and unique, this is an essential purchase." -- Judith Sutton, LIBRARY JOURNAL * "Insightful....Offers rare behind-the-scenes glimpses into some of the country's most celebrated kitchens." -- Elaine Van Dyne, COUNTRY LIVING * "Fascinating....Readers of BECOMING A CHEF are left with a genuinely rich impression of the serious chef's intention." -- Jeff Weinstein, THE VILLAGE VOIC
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Look at The Process of Becoming a Chef
Review: A must read for anyone entering the culinary field as a professional. For the "foodies" out there: an great inside view of the restaurant world.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible.
Review: An incredible volume for anyone seriously considering a career as a chef, as well as those of us who like goofing around in the kitchen on weekends. The authors interviewed some of the top chefs in the country, unearthing their backgrounds, and getting their input on the best way to achieve your dream as a professional chef. If, like me, you just like whipping up a grand meal on the weekend or holidays, this is a superb place to read up on techniques and great recipes. Each chef provides classic recipes from their restaurants, and each one I've made from BECOMING A CHEF has been an instant favorite!
Rating:
Summary: Right On!
Review: As a culinary student, I understand the hard work, long hours, and sacrifice that goes into this business. I felt that each part of the book was speaking to me directly. I would read each section and think, "This is what I have been thinking." I give this book my full recommendation to anyone in the business, or anyone curious of what it takes become a chef! DVC HRM Rules
Rating: 
Summary: Provides Good Advice
Review: As a high school student I did an internship at an upscale hotel. I walked in with no understanding of the food service industry. Because I had unrealistic expectations, I left without a good impression of the business. Now, after a couple of years of university, I had the opportunity to read this book. It helped me to get a better idea of what the business is really like and what my expectations should be as a student. I now attend cooking school and have found myself enjoying it much more. This book helped me realize that cooking is what I wanted to do and how I should approach it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of becoming a chef. It puts the business in perpective and allows you to make a more informed decision. It would have helped me immensely back in high school.
Rating:
Summary: A turn key work for those contiplating the profession.
Review: As a person who was considering a career change at the age of 27, this book provided the affermation that my personality and being was in line with the profession of cooking. For those that are considering a career in the culinary arts, I believe that culinary schools should require an essay on the interpretation of the general content of this work as a guideline to indicate the realization of what is involved in the business. It simply isn't like the television programs, it's working in a hot, heavy lifting, work while you're injured environment, with no holidays, or excuses. This book gets this point across without being squelching, and bring home the encouraging points for those with the passion. This work helped motivate me to my life long dream of going to cooking school, and now as an executive chef, continues to inspire me when the details are getting me down. I've lent it to my most promising line cooks.
Rating:
Summary: An invaluable source of information and inspiration!
Review: Becoming a Chef by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page is filled with information that anyone who wants to achieve greatness as a professional chef needs to know, based on the experiences of dozens of America's leading chefs (from Daniel Boulud to Emeril Lagasse to Charlie Trotters to Alice Waters). You find out what first got them interested in pursuing a career as a chef (including early memories of family influences) to what their first steps were (from first jobs to cooking school to externships) and how they made their way up the ladder to success. My favorite chapter is Chapter 9: Persevering In The Face of Reality, in which top chefs admit some of the boneheaded mistakes they made along the way, making it clear that even the greatest chefs faced setbacks along the way. Whenever I question my sanity for wanting to cook for a living (which is at least once a week), I pick up this book, open it to any page, and get inspired by remembering that we're all in it for the love of food and our common passion for cooking things that taste amazing and please others!
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