101 Things I Learned® in Culinary School (Second Edition)

Book excerpt: An informative, illustrated guide to food, cooking, and the culinary profession by a former White House chef—now in a revised second edition featuring 50% new material “This book is all meat with no fat. . . . Sure to surprise and enlighten even the most informed gourmands.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review), on the first edition of 101 Things I Learned® in Culinary School A chef must master countless techniques, memorize a mountain of information, and maintain a Zen master’s calm. This book illuminates the path to becoming a culinary professional by sharing important kitchen fundamentals and indispensable advice, including • practical how-tos, from holding a knife to calibrating a thermometer to creating a compost pile • ways to emphasize, accent, deepen, and counterpoint flavors • why we prefer a crisp outside and tender inside in most foods • understanding wine labels and beer basics • how to narrow innumerable culinary options to a manageable few, whether selecting knives, oils, thickeners, flours, potatoes, rice, or salad greens • how a professional kitchen is organized and managed to maintain its mission Written by a culinary professor and former White House chef, 101 Things I Learned® in Culinary School is a concise, highly readable resource for culinary students, home chefs, casual foodies, and anyone else trying to find their way around—or simply into—the kitchen.