Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris

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Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris (eBook) Pub. Date: 7/27/2011 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
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Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris Pub. Date: 7/27/2011 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

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Overview

At the French Culinary Institute, Lauren Shockey learned to salt food properly, cook fearlessly over high heat, and knock back beers like a pro. But she also discovered that her real culinary education wouldn't begin until she actually worked in a restaurant. After a somewhat disappointing apprenticeship in the French provinces, Shockey hatched a plan for her dream year: to apprentice in four high-end restaurants around the world. She started in her hometown of New York City under the famed chef Wylie Dufresne at the molecular gastronomy hotspot wd-50, then traveled to Vietnam, Israel, and back to France. From the ribald kitchen humor to fiery-tempered workers to tasks ranging from the mundane (mincing cases of shallots) to the extraordinary (cooking seafood on the line), Shockey shows us what really happens behind the scenes in haute cuisine, and includes original recipes integrating the techniques and flavors she learned along the way. With the dramatic backdrop of restaurant life, readers will be delighted by the adventures of a bright and restless young woman looking for her place in the world.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Food writer and French Culinary Institute graduate travels the globe as an unpaid kitchen apprentice, demystifying everything from haute cuisine at Senderens in Paris to molecular gastronomy at Manhattan's wd-50. In this entertainingly snarky memoir, Shockey chronicles the diffident curiosity of a female chef determined to learn, laugh, and cook in a professional kitchen. "Cooking in restaurants," she writes, "will teach you speed, precision, discipline and hard work. It's like the army: It can be tough, but you come out stronger." Along the way, she eats dog meat in Vietnam, fixes gnocchi in Israel, and cleans crab under a black light in France. Her bosses include such celebrated chefs as Wylie Dufresne and Didier Corlou. But amid the cooking tips, gourmet foods, and exotic techniques, she is driven by a simple question: do diners prefer meals that soothe with flavor or those that surprise with technique? With an insider's perspective shaped by the differing levels of trust and responsibility she earns, Shockey makes a reliable guide, as she illuminates the human elements of friendship and fatigue within the underpaid, unglamorous, and repetitive reality that is restaurant kitchen work. (July)

Library Journal

Shockey, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and a food writer for theVillage Voice and other publications, has penned a memoir of her time working as an unpaid kitchen apprentice in four different countries. Even with college credentials, she quickly learns that real-life experience is an entirely different type of education. Despite meeting fascinating people, she finds that working in a restaurant is often hours of tedious chores, regardless of the establishment's reputation or cuisine. Also intriguing are her adventures exploring her surroundings, as she samples the native fare at out-of-the-way eateries that residents frequent. Most of these tales are pleasurable, an almost vicarious feast for the reader, but a few are a bit unsettling, such as Shockey's resolution to eat dog in Vietnam. VERDICT This interesting blend of history, culture, cooking, and travel is highly recommended for any lover of literary travel writing. Those who enjoy cooking will learn through her experiences and be inspired to try Shockey's kitchen-friendly recipes featuring the spices and flavors she discovers along the way. [See Prepub Alert, 1/10/11.]—Jane Hebert, Orange Cty. Lib. Syst., Orlando, FL

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Kirkus Reviews

An American woman's transcultural education and discovery that an unpaid culinary apprenticeship is "not just a culinary experience" but "a human experience."

Following employment in a leisurely restaurant in Toulouse, France, Shockey embarked on a personal excursion to practice in several renowned kitchens around the world. From haute cuisine to fusion cooking, and from emphasis on technique to taste, her episodic debut reveals the pride and frustration of learning and mastering innovative as well as classical approaches. In her travels—which included enduring hierarchical, occasionally sexist commentary in New York and Paris, sampling challenging (to her Western palate) fare in Hanoi, or rediscovering casual dining in Tel Aviv—veteran foodies and Top Cheffans will recognize the tedious prepwork and the burden of performing over long hours. Shockey attempts to enliven these familiar topics with anecdotes about her struggles to find relationships in ex-pat communities; the resulting patchwork reinforces the book as the tale of a 20-something in search of direction. The author does not glamorize her travels, candidly noting the awkwardness of financial privilege in Vietnam and half-joking that Parisians are "a clan of snobbish people." Shockey avoids esoteric, gastronomical musings or in-depth coverage of each city's history and offerings, but she provides convincing evidence that immersion can be the fastest, most effective route to learning. As she remarks at several points, culinary school did not prepare her for what she encountered. Realizing that few chefs actually spend time behind the burner and that the role is often managerial created disappointment, but led to the rewarding affirmation that home-cooking is a passionate, inspiring, valid outlet. Each section includes recipes, many of which translate to the average kitchen.

Cooking for clientele and friends alike, Shockey highlights the importance of hands-on, communal involvement—food as nourishment with "soul" rather than high artistry.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780446559874
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication date: 7/27/2011
Pages: 352
Sales rank: 283,907
Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 1.30 (d)

Meet the Author

Lauren Shockey is a food writer whose articles have appeared in many print and online publications including The Village Voice, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, and The Atlantic Food Channel, among many others. A graduate of The University of Chicago, Lauren also holds a diploma in Classic Culinary Arts from The French Culinary Institute and a Master of Arts in food studies from New York University.

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zoebakk

Posted July 13, 2011

A must read!

This book is great for food lovers of all ages! It is easy to read but not over simplified and is hard to put down once you start it. I would recommend this to anyone!
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Posted October 22, 2011

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