The Soul of a Chef

While we were in Hawaii, I read The Soul of a Chef - The Journey Toward Perfection, the second book by Michael Ruhlman about the culinary world.

From the back of the book:
In his second in-depth foray into the world of professional cooking, Michael Ruhlman journeys into the heart of the profession. Observing the rigorous Certified Master Chef exam at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), the most influential cooking school in the country, Ruhlman enters the lives and kitchens of rising star Michael Symon of Lola and renowned Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. This in-depth treatment will satisfy any reader's hunger for knowledge about cooking and food, the secrets of successful chefs, at what point cooking becomes an art form, and more.

I really enjoyed reading about the Certified Master Chef exam, as the 10-day exam sounds fascinating and brutal at the same time. It would be amazing to participate in that one day, whether being an assistant or a judge or perhaps even attempting the exam myself.

Learning more about the lives of successful chefs was interesting as well. The life of a chef is definitely difficult and is something that requires an incredible amount of stamina and passion. I've always dreamed of running my own restaurant, so the book opened my eyes a bit more to what a typical day is like at two very different restaurants.

At this point, all I know for sure is that I am at the very beginning of my journey and I still have so much to learn. Reading books like this inspires me to keep going and see where this path leads. I am also really excited to start school, to which I have now officially been accepted, starting May 25. It can't come soon enough.