Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-quoting Butcher in T by Bill Buford l Summary & Study Guide

by BookRags

This study guide includes the following Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

Nook

First published August 30, 2011

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Heat” is the story of Bill Buford, one time staff writer/editor for the New Yorker and his time as an apprentice with Mario Batali in an effort to learn what it’s like to be a true chef. Unlike George Plimpton before him who often placed himself in ridiculous situations i.e., the quarterback for the Detroit Lions or a stint as a high-wire circus performer among other stunts so he could capture the experience for print. Another similarity Buford shares with Plimpton who co-founded the Paris Review is that Buford is the founder of the literary periodical Granta but that appears to be the end of the comparison as Buford brought at least a modicum of expertise to his story. The book takes you through his time along all the stages of a professional kitchen from entry level apprentice to line-prep slave and on to pasta chef in a high end multi-star rated Italian kitchen (Batali’s “Babbo” in NYC). At Batali’s insistence Buford even makes several forays to Italy to study pasta making with the woman who taught Batali the art of working with pasta and later he apprentices himself to an operatic butcher in Tuscany similar to what Batali’s father did upon his retirement in his early 60’s - he now owns/runs “Salumi” based in Seattle but known well beyond the NW region as among the finest deli’s. Through it all Buford shares the joys and mainly frustrations of trying to deliver extremely high quality food in ridiculously demanding circumstances and somehow doesn’t seem to lose his admiration for Batali who is arrogant (and gluttonous) beyond belief. While you could easily dismiss this day-in-the-life take on a professional kitchen it adds a level of depth lacking in the spate of talking heads seen on the Food network. The arc of the story, the writer’s courage to undertake this adventure, his lucid writing style and his candor all make this read most entertaining.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, so awesome, I love Cookbooks- no, the other kind, the kind that tell a story about a cooks experience...
Ok, that was simply great, having been in the trade it is easy to see how one can become obsessed with it. The self-effacing prose was enthralling and I found myself putting the book down frequently only to soak up the imagery and descriptives.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun nonfiction about famous chef Mario Batali. The author meets Batali at a dinner party and immediately becomes interested in him. He manages to wrangle an unpaid position in one of Batali's kitchens (with no previous restaurant experience) and slowly learns the ins and outs of a high end restaurant kitchen. Buford also traces Batali's rise in the chef world, and has no shortage of stories as Batali is quite a character. Eventually the author follows in Batali's footsteps and travels to Italy to learn the true secrets of italian cooking. A great book that is light on recipes and techniques of cooking, but long on interesting stories about chefs who truly love their food.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son encouraged me to read Heat upon returning from 3 weeks traveling, painting and "eating" in Northern Italy. I loved the Italian characters, real people so rich with the history of the land. That is what Italy represents to me. I especially loved the description of making pasta which mirrored my experience while taking a cooking class in an agriturisimo in Umbria. Getting the dough, with egg, to be shiny and while holding the pasta between hip and table rolling it very thinly. A great story told with culinary passion.

[Bbqbob2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story , enjoyed every word. Buford 's journey from kitchen rookie working his way up through the stations up to his training in the Tuscan butcher shop are enlightening and informative. Mario doesn't always come out the best but he does stay true to his vision and tastes. Read it and enjoy!

[Jill Moffitt]

This was a great book. It was very different from any genre I have read. It gives you a real look at the kitchens of Italy, and many gourmet restaurants in NYC. The intensity of the kitchen can be as stressful as the floor of the NYSE. Heat teaches you a lot about food and all of the beautiful recipes created by the women of Italy.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An editor at the New Yorker quits his job and works for a bunch of insanely talented and just plain insane Italians. So good writing plus crazy anecdotes plus mouth watering culinary tour = excellence.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking that an amateur could manage this experience, seek out more experiences like it, and survive. Amazing. (Writing ain't half bad, either).

[Rye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting inside look at how modern restaurant kitchens are run as well as follwing the authors culinary journey from novice to experience cook/meat cutter. Not gripping, but interesting.

[Robert]

Wonderfully written. One man's journey through hell and history in the form of Mario Batali's kitchen.