Cheffin'

by Brendan Cronin

Master Chef Brendan Cronin – the only Irish chef to attain the prestigious Swiss culinary title of ‘Chef de Cuisine Diplomé’, Swiss Master Chef – takes us on a global journey of gastronomic delight from his childhood on a small dairy farm in the West of Ireland, to cooking in great hotels in Limerick, Dublin and onward to the beckoning and beautiful Swiss Alps, Africa, and The Far East. We follow Brendan as he pursues his dream of becoming a skilled and accomplished chef while working for some of the best hotels in the world.

Along the way, Cronin describes the hospitality industry like the true professional he is, telling his story with passion, humor, and Irish wit – making us so hungry you will want to stop mid-chapter to try the many recipes included in this book. Cronin’s entertaining and informative narrative includes sweeping descriptions of local culture, geography, punctuated with captivating and often hilarious anecdotes of the multi-cultural kitchens and individuals with whom he worked. His eloquent stories of the many high-profile chefs and guests he met while working in the great 5-star hotels of the world, keeps us turning page-after-page leading to a surprising end.

Cheffin’ provides us with tremendous insight to luxury hotels, the guests who stay in them, and the exceptional people who make it all happen, as well as fascinating behind-the-scenes descriptions of what it takes to become a professional chef in the intensely competitive and fast-paced environment of the international hospitality industry.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Cookbooks, Memoir, Cooking

323 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2012

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was notified by my daughter that a book by one of her teachers at Endicott College was available for my Kindle. Knowing Mr. Cronin was a Master Chef from conversations with her I figured it had to be a new cook book. Cook books have always been hard for me to resist so I jumped at the opportunity to get another. Much to my surprise, it wasn't really a cook book at all. Yes, Chef Cronin shares some of his prized recipes after each chapter but the book is so much more......Master Chef Cronin shares the entire intimate details of how his Mother's influence and love of cooking was passed onto him. It is truly an amazing journey from learning the basics in Ireland and taking advantage of the opportunities afforded him in Switzerland, Africa and Singapore and finally in the US. He takes us on his journey and shares his life experience as he takes advantage of all the renowned kitchens he has worked in and all that the culinary world had to offer him. If you ever wondered about the day in the life of a chef, this is a must read. It certainly was an eye opener for me to find how dedicated he and other chefs like him are to their craft. I love how personal his story is and I do think he should now write the cookbook.

[grundoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Two things make this a welcome, perhaps even important, addition to the canon of English-language chef memoirs - first, that it's full of the culinary side of things, a bit of a rarity. Some might think too much full, and for others maybe it's still not enough, but you are going to hear a fair bit about food. The other is that it's about a career in the global hospitality industry, rather than entrepreneurial toilers or cowboys in restaurant kitchens, and helps fill that huge gap. On the down side: it's not exactly outstanding writing, though does settle in to a comfortable enough tone before long. And it's essentially drama-free - no tales of debauchery, nor excitement, nor (amazingly) any feel whatsoever of life in an actual kitchen, nor really anything but circumspect narrative here. It's a pleasant journey, well worth reading if unfamiliar with this enormous other side of the industry, though really would have benefited from at least grit, if not also a little spice.

[Kristin Clouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened upon this book because it was promoted as a free read a couple months ago -- what an really delicious find! From Brendan's humble beginnings on the West Coast of rural Ireland in the 1960s to Switzerland, Africa, Singapore, and all over the world, I shared his never-dull transition into Master Chef. I learned a lot about "cheffin'", taste memories, and foreign cultures, and even a little bit about the fine art of managing people. I especially enjoyed his detailed descriptions of menues designed for royality and recipes that he perfected over many years. But best of all, I learned that the Irish CAN COOK (and write very well, too!).

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The memoir was written by a colleague at Endicott College. It is a very sweet reflection on, what feels to be a very charmed life, both personally and professionally. This reflection is quite unlike the many, engaging memoirs/tell-all books written by nationally know chefs.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been hoping for more recipes. Enjoyable book.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a memior from my college culinary instructor!

[Shannon Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about a young boy growing up in rural Ireland that is introduced to cooking by his mother, and the life story that follows. Cooking brings him to Europe, Africa, Asia, and eventually America- and the stories along the way are humorous, emotional, and always interesting! I loved reading this and highly recommend it!

[Alison]

kindle 334 (food)