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Salt, Sweat & Steam: The Fiery Education of an Accidental Chef
With mouthwatering storytelling and open-hearted honesty, Brigid Washington serves The Devil Wears Prada for the “yes, chef” generation.
Rich with detail, Salt, Sweat & Steam takes readers inside America's top culinary school and shows what's really required to become a chef: from brutal unpaid internships and gruelling practical exams to late-night vending machine dorm-room dinners while trudging through the rarefied world of fine wine. As editor of the school's newspaper, "La Papillote" Washington, a Trinidadian, meets and interviews food-world luminaries such as Jerome Bocuse, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller and savors the joys of a life devoted to food. She puts us all in her kitchen clogs as she finally achieves the perfect mise-en-place both in and out of the dignified kitchen of The Culinary Institute of America.
Unwilling to accept a future that was anything but delicious, readers follow along Washington's high-octane journey through the rigors and rewards of the country’s most elite cooking school.
Rich with detail, Salt, Sweat & Steam takes readers inside America's top culinary school and shows what's really required to become a chef: from brutal unpaid internships and gruelling practical exams to late-night vending machine dorm-room dinners while trudging through the rarefied world of fine wine. As editor of the school's newspaper, "La Papillote" Washington, a Trinidadian, meets and interviews food-world luminaries such as Jerome Bocuse, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller and savors the joys of a life devoted to food. She puts us all in her kitchen clogs as she finally achieves the perfect mise-en-place both in and out of the dignified kitchen of The Culinary Institute of America.
Unwilling to accept a future that was anything but delicious, readers follow along Washington's high-octane journey through the rigors and rewards of the country’s most elite cooking school.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
April 29, 2026
Oh, I ate this up! As a fan of all things culinary, I couldn’t read this fast enough. I’m fascinated by those who choose to dive into the CIA. I eagerly read through each course.
I enjoyed the writing and the flow of the chapters. The reflections she frequently had about Trinidad, her family, and the food was my favorite. The comparison between home in Trinidad and the rigorous CIA is a stark contrast in all aspects. The food descriptions were mouthwatering and I could visualize it all.
Brigid Washington’s drive to graduate and keeping her love interest afloat is admirable. Her memoir is a unique contribution to having survived the CIA. I would like to have known more about her life growing up, but maybe that’s another book.
Highly recommend for anyone interested in culinary topics.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for early access.
I enjoyed the writing and the flow of the chapters. The reflections she frequently had about Trinidad, her family, and the food was my favorite. The comparison between home in Trinidad and the rigorous CIA is a stark contrast in all aspects. The food descriptions were mouthwatering and I could visualize it all.
Brigid Washington’s drive to graduate and keeping her love interest afloat is admirable. Her memoir is a unique contribution to having survived the CIA. I would like to have known more about her life growing up, but maybe that’s another book.
Highly recommend for anyone interested in culinary topics.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for early access.
December 5, 2025
I’m a fan of restaurant, chef, food, and other cooking-related memoirs. I enjoyed this look at her experience attending/enduring the CIA. It might not break new ground, but the author has a great voice and her descriptions of her CIA education were entertaining.
I would have enjoyed it more if she explained what initially drew her to cooking. Why look for that first cooking job when nothing in her current academic/professional life pointed to food? Where did that initial spark of being captivated by food come from? It seems like she walks into a restaurant out of the blue and offers to work for free. Why turn to the CIA at your lowest moment? If we knew the why earlier, her journey and where she ended up would have hit harder. That thread was missing, and I didn’t see any growth from her. Dissatisfied woman pursues rigorous degree she doesn’t use? She may have rejected “Food is life”, but she never explained why it was such a huge part of her life that she’d walk into a restaurant and work for free in the midst of a journalism career.
I felt the pace stalled when her internship crashed and she returned to her old boyfriend. I loved the food writing and her voice, but I struggled to connect with someone with a chip on her shoulder who always got in her own way and didn’t demonstrate growth.
The behind the scenes look at a CIA education and all the food descriptions hit the mark. If that’s what you’re after you won’t be disappointed.
3.5 I received an arc from NetGalley
I would have enjoyed it more if she explained what initially drew her to cooking. Why look for that first cooking job when nothing in her current academic/professional life pointed to food? Where did that initial spark of being captivated by food come from? It seems like she walks into a restaurant out of the blue and offers to work for free. Why turn to the CIA at your lowest moment? If we knew the why earlier, her journey and where she ended up would have hit harder. That thread was missing, and I didn’t see any growth from her. Dissatisfied woman pursues rigorous degree she doesn’t use? She may have rejected “Food is life”, but she never explained why it was such a huge part of her life that she’d walk into a restaurant and work for free in the midst of a journalism career.
I felt the pace stalled when her internship crashed and she returned to her old boyfriend. I loved the food writing and her voice, but I struggled to connect with someone with a chip on her shoulder who always got in her own way and didn’t demonstrate growth.
The behind the scenes look at a CIA education and all the food descriptions hit the mark. If that’s what you’re after you won’t be disappointed.
3.5 I received an arc from NetGalley
June 15, 2026
If you know me, you know that my two go too dishes to make are fried roast breadfruit and a Jamaican pumpkin chicken soup so I went into this book blind but I was pleasantly surprised.
In Salt, Sweat & Steam we are taken into Brigid Washington world as a Trini studying in the US. We meet her in undergrad right before she goes through a heart break and decides to attending the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). We get a first hand look into what it means to train there, the modules and a lot of culinary terms.
I really enjoyed being at the CIA, I think that was my favourite part of the book, how the author really lets us in. There's a lot of information and knowledge about preparing food and running a restaurant that I enjoyed learning about.
The author lost me when she said she loved KAM WAH and HOT SHOPPE ROTI... aside from my beef with that, it was an enjoyable read.
In Salt, Sweat & Steam we are taken into Brigid Washington world as a Trini studying in the US. We meet her in undergrad right before she goes through a heart break and decides to attending the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). We get a first hand look into what it means to train there, the modules and a lot of culinary terms.
I really enjoyed being at the CIA, I think that was my favourite part of the book, how the author really lets us in. There's a lot of information and knowledge about preparing food and running a restaurant that I enjoyed learning about.
The author lost me when she said she loved KAM WAH and HOT SHOPPE ROTI... aside from my beef with that, it was an enjoyable read.
November 22, 2025
Maybe I didn't like it because it's not the book I wanted to read; I was hoping the author liked food, liked to cook and wanted to express her unique perspective on food and culinary training. I was disappointed. This book is like a boring episode of Girls meets The Bear with all the bad choices and none of the sharp wit that turns out to be one long ad for the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). The author failed to convey a strong viewpoint, lacks insight and doesn't show significant growth throughout the memoire; the writing is often dry & trite, relying heavily on tropes and hyperbole excepting the portions dedicated to self aggrandizement and justification of poor choices in which she waxes loquaciously verbose.
Spoiler Alert: An unhappy woman lacking professional direction is dumped by a man in whom she placed all her hopes for a happy future and while pining for him she has the privilege of attending the esteemed CIA, which she later realizes is the worst and terrible. Along the way she dates an asshole but he's hot, describes her culinary training predominantly in a clinical and perfunctory manner (unless it's about how hard she tried and why she deserved a better grade in that class), gets in her own way ( the whole thing about the internships) and when the guy from the beginning decides to take her back she accepts his marriage proposal gratefully. And good thing, because she realizes as she's walking the stage to graduate CIA that maybe she doesn't want to be a cook after all. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book and would recommend readers looking for a culinary memoir try "Yes chef" by Marcus Samuelsson or "Blood, bones & Butter" by Gabrielle Hamilton instead.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Spoiler Alert: An unhappy woman lacking professional direction is dumped by a man in whom she placed all her hopes for a happy future and while pining for him she has the privilege of attending the esteemed CIA, which she later realizes is the worst and terrible. Along the way she dates an asshole but he's hot, describes her culinary training predominantly in a clinical and perfunctory manner (unless it's about how hard she tried and why she deserved a better grade in that class), gets in her own way ( the whole thing about the internships) and when the guy from the beginning decides to take her back she accepts his marriage proposal gratefully. And good thing, because she realizes as she's walking the stage to graduate CIA that maybe she doesn't want to be a cook after all. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book and would recommend readers looking for a culinary memoir try "Yes chef" by Marcus Samuelsson or "Blood, bones & Butter" by Gabrielle Hamilton instead.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2025
Have always been intrigued by the rigorous training at The Culinary Institute of America after a friend attended, and from the author's gripping account, it's akin to surviving the most challenging Marine boot camp. Whew! Compelling and well written!
October 6, 2026
A Hunger That Goes Far Beyond the Plate 🍽️
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 Stars
📖 The Story:
Brigid Washington, a Trinidadian food writer, enrolls at the Culinary Institute of America in her mid-twenties, partly to escape a painful breakup. Over two years she survives brutal practical exams, unpaid internship hunts, and a wine class with a famously high failure rate, all while editing the school newspaper, La Papillote, and interviewing chefs like Jérôme Bocuse, Daniel Boulud, and Thomas Keller. 👩🏾🍳
🔪 What Worked for Me:
The opening scene alone had me hooked. Washington is trying to keep a consommé raft from breaking while a stone-faced chef watches, and I felt every nervous second. 😅 I loved the instructors she brings to life, especially Chef Le Roux, whose omelet lesson (eggs, butter, salt, one fork) pays off beautifully at a crucial moment later in the book. The Food Network interview, where a kind dishwasher helps her decode a chicken paillard with just three whispered words, is one of my favorite scenes. 🥚 Chef Banks and his unforgiving Cuisines of Asia class, complete with a yogurt mishap she is still embarrassed about, made me laugh and cringe at once.
🇹🇹 The Heart of It:
Her food memories from home are the best writing in the book. Ponche à crème in a dorm room, doubles, pelau, callaloo, and a passion fruit juice that carries her grandmother's memory all felt lovingly rendered. She also pushes back, thoughtfully, on whose cuisines the school treats as essential, and that gave the memoir real weight. 💛
🍷 What Held It Back:
Some chapters lean heavily on curriculum detail, and the long relationship thread with a classmate dominates the middle. A few metaphors also pile up. None of this spoiled my enjoyment, but it kept me at four stars.
✨ Who Should Read It:
Anyone who enjoyed memoirs about professional kitchens, readers who love food writing with a strong sense of place, and anyone curious about culinary school itself. 📚
🙏 Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Brigid Washington for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. 💕
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 Stars
📖 The Story:
Brigid Washington, a Trinidadian food writer, enrolls at the Culinary Institute of America in her mid-twenties, partly to escape a painful breakup. Over two years she survives brutal practical exams, unpaid internship hunts, and a wine class with a famously high failure rate, all while editing the school newspaper, La Papillote, and interviewing chefs like Jérôme Bocuse, Daniel Boulud, and Thomas Keller. 👩🏾🍳
🔪 What Worked for Me:
The opening scene alone had me hooked. Washington is trying to keep a consommé raft from breaking while a stone-faced chef watches, and I felt every nervous second. 😅 I loved the instructors she brings to life, especially Chef Le Roux, whose omelet lesson (eggs, butter, salt, one fork) pays off beautifully at a crucial moment later in the book. The Food Network interview, where a kind dishwasher helps her decode a chicken paillard with just three whispered words, is one of my favorite scenes. 🥚 Chef Banks and his unforgiving Cuisines of Asia class, complete with a yogurt mishap she is still embarrassed about, made me laugh and cringe at once.
🇹🇹 The Heart of It:
Her food memories from home are the best writing in the book. Ponche à crème in a dorm room, doubles, pelau, callaloo, and a passion fruit juice that carries her grandmother's memory all felt lovingly rendered. She also pushes back, thoughtfully, on whose cuisines the school treats as essential, and that gave the memoir real weight. 💛
🍷 What Held It Back:
Some chapters lean heavily on curriculum detail, and the long relationship thread with a classmate dominates the middle. A few metaphors also pile up. None of this spoiled my enjoyment, but it kept me at four stars.
✨ Who Should Read It:
Anyone who enjoyed memoirs about professional kitchens, readers who love food writing with a strong sense of place, and anyone curious about culinary school itself. 📚
🙏 Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Brigid Washington for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. 💕
November 22, 2025
I love reading about cooking and the restaurant business, so I've probably read over two dozen memoirs from chefs, restauranteurs, cooking school (CIA) graduates, food and wine service folks, etc. So this was right up my alley! Since I've already covered this ground multiple times, I can't say anything here was necessarily groundbreaking, but the author did paint a good picture, and I appreciated seeing the experience through the lens of a woman from Trinidad. It was well written, even if it felt a smidge meandering at times.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Publishes April 28, 2026.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Publishes April 28, 2026.
November 24, 2025
I love a memoir involving chefs, so when this came my way, I started it almost immediately.
Loved the in-depth look into the CIA’s rigorous training and learning about Brigid’s path. As an island girl myself (Dominican Republic), her visit home almost at the end of her schooling and what it meant spoke to me in so many ways.
Read this!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and the author for providing a free copy of this book through NetGalley.
Loved the in-depth look into the CIA’s rigorous training and learning about Brigid’s path. As an island girl myself (Dominican Republic), her visit home almost at the end of her schooling and what it meant spoke to me in so many ways.
Read this!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and the author for providing a free copy of this book through NetGalley.
July 14, 2026
Loved every minute. Felt like I was one of the students in culinary school with her.
Read
April 9, 2026This food memoir was so fun to read.
I did go to the CIA years ago when a relative was interested in possibly going there. It's a beautiful location and amazing to see all that they had to offer.
I love how the author was able to take us into her story, as she showed us both the delights and hardships of going into this field. What it was like day to day, as they learned new dishes,and what was expected of them as they went through the many different,classes with different chefs and types of food.
It didn't seem like it was for the lighthearted, but if you paid attention and listened to the chef's it could be very rewarding.
The personal part of her story was also enlightening, showing us why she decided to go there, and what made her realize in the end how to go forward with this education.
I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a copy of this book
I did go to the CIA years ago when a relative was interested in possibly going there. It's a beautiful location and amazing to see all that they had to offer.
I love how the author was able to take us into her story, as she showed us both the delights and hardships of going into this field. What it was like day to day, as they learned new dishes,and what was expected of them as they went through the many different,classes with different chefs and types of food.
It didn't seem like it was for the lighthearted, but if you paid attention and listened to the chef's it could be very rewarding.
The personal part of her story was also enlightening, showing us why she decided to go there, and what made her realize in the end how to go forward with this education.
I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a copy of this book
April 5, 2026
Thank you to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #SaltSweatSteam. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
If you're looking for a straight foodie memoir, this is not the right book for you. I enjoy chef/kitchen/behind the scenes stories and had high hopes for this book. While this gives a pretty detailed account of the coursework and rigor of the CIA, it's much more about the author's relationships and her indecision about what she wants as a career and from life.
Washington has a unique perspective in that she enrolled at the CIA after getting her bachelor's in psychology & journalism. She's also a black, female immigrant (all rare in the ultra white male world of the CIA). While her appreciation for food is evident (especially when she writes about the food from Trinidad, her home country), cooking is clearly not her passion. I guess it's good that she has writing to fall back on.
If you're looking for a straight foodie memoir, this is not the right book for you. I enjoy chef/kitchen/behind the scenes stories and had high hopes for this book. While this gives a pretty detailed account of the coursework and rigor of the CIA, it's much more about the author's relationships and her indecision about what she wants as a career and from life.
Washington has a unique perspective in that she enrolled at the CIA after getting her bachelor's in psychology & journalism. She's also a black, female immigrant (all rare in the ultra white male world of the CIA). While her appreciation for food is evident (especially when she writes about the food from Trinidad, her home country), cooking is clearly not her passion. I guess it's good that she has writing to fall back on.
April 15, 2026
Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC read in return for an unbiased review!
I quite literally ate this book up! *No pun intended!* This book was unlike any other book that I have had the pleasure of reading before! It was so full of life, culture, and food recipes that I have now decided that I need to try at some point in my life. It gave such an astounding and eye-opening insight into the world of a culinary student. This book, I will be re-reading multiple times in the future! My late uncle (rest in peace) was a chef and wine connoisseur, and this book genuinely made me feel closer to him and gave me a different look at why he fell in love with cooking so much. I now have a greater appreciation and love for how you can experience a whole culture through one plate of food when you have a chance to slow down and appreciate every flavor and ingredient on your palate. Food is a way to cleanse the soul/body and provides a chance to truly connect with yourself, with others, and with other various cultures.
20/20 Highly Recommend, whether you like memoirs or not, I feel like everyone can appreciate Brigid Washington's culinary journey!
20/20
I quite literally ate this book up! *No pun intended!* This book was unlike any other book that I have had the pleasure of reading before! It was so full of life, culture, and food recipes that I have now decided that I need to try at some point in my life. It gave such an astounding and eye-opening insight into the world of a culinary student. This book, I will be re-reading multiple times in the future! My late uncle (rest in peace) was a chef and wine connoisseur, and this book genuinely made me feel closer to him and gave me a different look at why he fell in love with cooking so much. I now have a greater appreciation and love for how you can experience a whole culture through one plate of food when you have a chance to slow down and appreciate every flavor and ingredient on your palate. Food is a way to cleanse the soul/body and provides a chance to truly connect with yourself, with others, and with other various cultures.
20/20 Highly Recommend, whether you like memoirs or not, I feel like everyone can appreciate Brigid Washington's culinary journey!
20/20
July 14, 2026
Audiobook was narrated by the author, which I really love in a memoir. This is the story about why and how Brigid Washington, a young woman from Trinidad, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America.
Learning about the process of attending the CIA was interesting, but I was more taken by Brigid herself. Brigid was already a college graduate when she felt like her life needed to be shaken up. A new start. After finding a love for professional cooking, a restaurant mentor encouraged her to apply for the CIA, and she jumped at the chance to begin anew.
About 3/4 of the way in, I literally told myself that no matter what was coming up in the story, I knew Brigid to be a fierce self advocate. There were many examples of Brigid swallowing her fear and asking for what she wanted. I felt that she would lead this story in complete control. I felt safe and trusted her ability to guide me on her journey. To my shock and after a few consecutive set backs, Brigid finally found herself lost. All the things she tried to run from were still with her. Of course.
To Brigid, if you ever read this, thank you for your story. Your talent for writing and self discipline really stood out to me.
Learning about the process of attending the CIA was interesting, but I was more taken by Brigid herself. Brigid was already a college graduate when she felt like her life needed to be shaken up. A new start. After finding a love for professional cooking, a restaurant mentor encouraged her to apply for the CIA, and she jumped at the chance to begin anew.
About 3/4 of the way in, I literally told myself that no matter what was coming up in the story, I knew Brigid to be a fierce self advocate. There were many examples of Brigid swallowing her fear and asking for what she wanted. I felt that she would lead this story in complete control. I felt safe and trusted her ability to guide me on her journey. To my shock and after a few consecutive set backs, Brigid finally found herself lost. All the things she tried to run from were still with her. Of course.
To Brigid, if you ever read this, thank you for your story. Your talent for writing and self discipline really stood out to me.
April 30, 2026
So you’ve watched every episode of Hell’s Kitchen and decided you want to be a professional chef? Before you get too wrapped up in the fantasy, be aware you are in for a lot of Salt, Sweat & Steam, as detailed in this memoir.
Brigid is a Trinidadian immigrant working on her undergraduate degree in North Carolina when she breaks up with her boyfriend. To get over him, she decides to get a degree at the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York. Brigid has only minimal experience at a fine dining restaurant when she is thrust into a dog-eating-dog competition for greatness.
Similar to Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, this is a compelling look into the brutal world of fine dining kitchens but from a student’s point of view. After reading Salt, Sweat & Steam, I can’t believe that there are not easier ways of becoming rich and famous. 4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.
Brigid is a Trinidadian immigrant working on her undergraduate degree in North Carolina when she breaks up with her boyfriend. To get over him, she decides to get a degree at the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York. Brigid has only minimal experience at a fine dining restaurant when she is thrust into a dog-eating-dog competition for greatness.
Similar to Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, this is a compelling look into the brutal world of fine dining kitchens but from a student’s point of view. After reading Salt, Sweat & Steam, I can’t believe that there are not easier ways of becoming rich and famous. 4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.
July 2, 2026
Enjoyed the POV of a non-traditional student from the Caribbean experiencing life through cooking. I could not help myself from thinking that so many of the issues encountered by Washington throughout the book were avoidable, but that's the beauty of looking back and reflecting. Personally, I would have enjoyed a bit more in depth cooking, but I have been reading quite a few cook books recently, so maybe I am a bit skewed. 3.4
October 1, 2026
Brigid Washington decided somewhat on a whim to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) after a break up. She's older than many of the students but is excited to challenge herself through this rigorous program. And she is definitely challenged. The CIA is no joke and has extremely high standards. At first, it's hard for Brigid to find her community at the CIA, but she does connect with some friends and a potential crush/boyfriend. But as she nears the end of the program, her dream internship falls apart at the last minute and she starts to doubt her future in the culinary world.
Washington's writing is great. She conveys the rigor of the CIA classes really well. But, there was a lot missing that would have helped this memoir. I don't understand enrolling in a VERY expensive program on a whim with no clear direction on what you want to get out of that degree. Going to work in a restaurant, sure. Signing up for $50,000+ in student loans to get over a broken heart? I don't know. Also, I feel like there needed to be more to the end than she and Joseph are back together and he proposes. Did she ever go work in restaurants? How did she pay off these student loans? How did she get into her role now as the vice-chair of the journalism awards committee for the James Beard Foundation?
There were also a couple things that really bothered me. Her "relationship" with Leo - ugh. He may have been hot, but a hot douchebag is still a douchebag. I really didn't understand why she wasted so much time with him when it was VERY clear he wasn't interested in anything other than keeping her interested in him. Also, she kind of glossed over how/why she got the school newspaper editor's job over other students who had already been contributing to the paper. Why would they give that role to a brand new student and not the more experienced people already working on the paper? Finally, her ridiculous push to change school policies so she could try for the Italy internship. I feel like there's a fine line between going for what you want and expecting all the rules to be broken just for you. I feel like she shouldn't have pushed for that and then in the end when the CIA changed all the rules for her, she STILL didn't get to go. It felt like when she didn't get her way with this internship, that's when she started to have second thoughts about working in fine dining. But, she had no real plan or goal all along! Overall, I liked the writing and the parts about the program at the CIA. I didn't love her choices and the feeling of all the rules should be broken just for her.
Washington's writing is great. She conveys the rigor of the CIA classes really well. But, there was a lot missing that would have helped this memoir. I don't understand enrolling in a VERY expensive program on a whim with no clear direction on what you want to get out of that degree. Going to work in a restaurant, sure. Signing up for $50,000+ in student loans to get over a broken heart? I don't know. Also, I feel like there needed to be more to the end than she and Joseph are back together and he proposes. Did she ever go work in restaurants? How did she pay off these student loans? How did she get into her role now as the vice-chair of the journalism awards committee for the James Beard Foundation?
There were also a couple things that really bothered me. Her "relationship" with Leo - ugh. He may have been hot, but a hot douchebag is still a douchebag. I really didn't understand why she wasted so much time with him when it was VERY clear he wasn't interested in anything other than keeping her interested in him. Also, she kind of glossed over how/why she got the school newspaper editor's job over other students who had already been contributing to the paper. Why would they give that role to a brand new student and not the more experienced people already working on the paper? Finally, her ridiculous push to change school policies so she could try for the Italy internship. I feel like there's a fine line between going for what you want and expecting all the rules to be broken just for you. I feel like she shouldn't have pushed for that and then in the end when the CIA changed all the rules for her, she STILL didn't get to go. It felt like when she didn't get her way with this internship, that's when she started to have second thoughts about working in fine dining. But, she had no real plan or goal all along! Overall, I liked the writing and the parts about the program at the CIA. I didn't love her choices and the feeling of all the rules should be broken just for her.
December 31, 2025
I dare you to read this book without working up an appetite! The food descriptions are epic, with interesting explanations of techniques used for different protein sources and vegetable preparation. However, the story felt very single-noted, with most of it taking place while the author is at the Culinary Institute.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
May 28, 2026
The book was a beautifully written culinary adventure filled with vivid imagery and impeccable attention to detail. Every scene is so rich and atmospheric that you can almost taste the food alongside the narrative — I found myself genuinely salivating over many of the descriptions. Beyond the cuisine, the memoir offers a raw and honest look at life’s winding paths and the friendships and love that help guide us back to ourselves. The author narrated the audible and her voice and intonation elevate her story and her Trini roots!
July 30, 2026
It was a huge relief to finally read a chef memoir that was not awash in drugs and sexual escapades. Washington brings clarity to all the mysteries of being a student at the Culinary Institute of America. Thoroughly enjoyable.
May 17, 2026
I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down. Brigid takes you on a journey that is relatable, educational, vivid, inspiring, and entertaining. It’s genuinely my new favorite book. For an extra treat listen to her read the audiobook.
May 20, 2026
This book was a fascinating read! I don’t know if I consider myself a foodie but I love food and trying new things and was excited to dig into this book. I knew it was tough to become a chef but I had no idea what all they go through and how much training they have - and how competitive the industry is. If you have ever wondered what it takes to make it through the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) then buckle up!
There are moments where this book reads like a story - it’s well written and I think foodies and non-foodies alike will really enjoy it.
There are moments where this book reads like a story - it’s well written and I think foodies and non-foodies alike will really enjoy it.
May 21, 2026
A fascinating look at Brigid's experiences at the Culinary Institute of America.
Read
July 18, 2026Fine, I actually don’t want to give it a star rating since it was a memoir but overall not super interesting. I don’t really know why I read it 😔
September 14, 2026
An interesting reading contrasting the demands of culinary education, love lost and searched for and mid-20s adulting / growing up challenges. Brigid is a bright, young lady from Trinidad with many friends through college at NC State...but ultimately graduates with a journalism degree and literally 'hungers' for more. Her love of cooking had resulted in her applying to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (...the other US "CIA"!) and when she is accepted AND her relationship with her college love, Joseph flounders....she decides to go. Her descriptions of fellow classmates, various professors and ingredients in numerous dishes make for a read you can laugh, groan and yell about while nearly tasting the coursework. Well written and educational as well as fun to read...and I don't even like to cook!!
December 8, 2025
I highly recommend Brigid Washington’s love letter to the world’s diverse foods. This memoir is a food lovers’ dream, every bouquet of Crème Bressane and Puligny-Montrachet or Callaloo which “sizzles with bright bursts of Scotch bonnet peppers.”Travel a culinary journey from Tobago for sada roti and baigan to France for profiteroles and chèvre, from B-block to restaurant row.
Exquisite imagery teases the senses as you read such phrases as “pieces of the roti filled with ground yellow split peas fell into my lap like saffron-scented fairy dust.” Fervent descriptions that will trigger your own "madeleine de Proust."
I will admit to skimming the long passages of food preparation, technique descriptions, and her train wreck affair with Leo. I loved Washington’s character portrayals and rhythmic phrasing. Honesty prevails through the trials and failures of culinary capriciousness. She unashamedly admits that the Caribbean sings her siren song and constantly calls her home. Food will forever be her leitmotif for life.
“Encouragement is the currency of the kind and confident, given generously without account.”
Exquisite imagery teases the senses as you read such phrases as “pieces of the roti filled with ground yellow split peas fell into my lap like saffron-scented fairy dust.” Fervent descriptions that will trigger your own "madeleine de Proust."
I will admit to skimming the long passages of food preparation, technique descriptions, and her train wreck affair with Leo. I loved Washington’s character portrayals and rhythmic phrasing. Honesty prevails through the trials and failures of culinary capriciousness. She unashamedly admits that the Caribbean sings her siren song and constantly calls her home. Food will forever be her leitmotif for life.
“Encouragement is the currency of the kind and confident, given generously without account.”
December 9, 2025
7/10
I am the primary cook in our family. I love cooking, always have. Some of my closest friends are professional chefs (at least one went to CIA) and my ex-wife was a sommelier. I love watching about cooking and reading about cooking.
So I was pretty intrigued about a book on the CIA experience. I grew up in the area and my sister lives right up the Hudson River from it.
I’ve heard rumors of its brutality.
With that as the background, I will tell you that there were some parts of this book that I found to be really good and some parts that I was disappointed with.
Let’s start with the good stuff.
Brigid is a talented writer. I read the book so quickly (1.5 days) because she makes it easy to read (I was sick in bed too, but let’s pretend that part doesn’t count).
There are many parts of the story that are really intriguing. I loved learning about the classes and the different types of people that attend CIA.
Unfortunately, there were some big elements that just didn’t sit well with me.
One thing I didn’t love was the seeming confusion about the purpose of the book. I felt like Brigid may have written one draft of the book and then the editor said “you need to turn the story into a love story”. So she edited parts of it to make it seem like it was a transformational journey of love. Meanwhile, other parts were written as if it were an inside look at CIA and other parts as if it were a memoir.
In the end, I’m not clear what the book wanted to be, but I know it wasn’t what I wanted.
My expectation was that this was a tell-all book about going through the brutal CIA process - with all the inside scoop about the professors and admin and student body.
My expectation was that this would be a focus on the experience of being at CIA rather than a low grade hum of a desire to get out of it. Brigid positioned herself in the book as someone who loves the food she grew up with in the islands, but isn’t so much a foodie.
I can’t imagine that’s true. You don’t work for free at a restaurant if you’re not into food. You don’t go through two years at CIA id you’re not into food.
In the end…
Actually, I won’t spoil the end for you. Even though it is mostly what led to my assumption that her editors made her change the story.
Every food industry book I read had to be compared to Kitchen Confidential because that’s the way life is. KC is the apex of which all food industry books strive to achieve. Unfortunately, with this book, Brigid didn’t get near the summit.
I applaud her for the climb though.
And with her writing, I don’t doubt she’s got a better book in her.
Oh, and I’m probably going to buy her Caribbean cookbook.
Oh, and she made me want to take more cooking classes.
#netgalley #saltsweatandsteam
I am the primary cook in our family. I love cooking, always have. Some of my closest friends are professional chefs (at least one went to CIA) and my ex-wife was a sommelier. I love watching about cooking and reading about cooking.
So I was pretty intrigued about a book on the CIA experience. I grew up in the area and my sister lives right up the Hudson River from it.
I’ve heard rumors of its brutality.
With that as the background, I will tell you that there were some parts of this book that I found to be really good and some parts that I was disappointed with.
Let’s start with the good stuff.
Brigid is a talented writer. I read the book so quickly (1.5 days) because she makes it easy to read (I was sick in bed too, but let’s pretend that part doesn’t count).
There are many parts of the story that are really intriguing. I loved learning about the classes and the different types of people that attend CIA.
Unfortunately, there were some big elements that just didn’t sit well with me.
One thing I didn’t love was the seeming confusion about the purpose of the book. I felt like Brigid may have written one draft of the book and then the editor said “you need to turn the story into a love story”. So she edited parts of it to make it seem like it was a transformational journey of love. Meanwhile, other parts were written as if it were an inside look at CIA and other parts as if it were a memoir.
In the end, I’m not clear what the book wanted to be, but I know it wasn’t what I wanted.
My expectation was that this was a tell-all book about going through the brutal CIA process - with all the inside scoop about the professors and admin and student body.
My expectation was that this would be a focus on the experience of being at CIA rather than a low grade hum of a desire to get out of it. Brigid positioned herself in the book as someone who loves the food she grew up with in the islands, but isn’t so much a foodie.
I can’t imagine that’s true. You don’t work for free at a restaurant if you’re not into food. You don’t go through two years at CIA id you’re not into food.
In the end…
Actually, I won’t spoil the end for you. Even though it is mostly what led to my assumption that her editors made her change the story.
Every food industry book I read had to be compared to Kitchen Confidential because that’s the way life is. KC is the apex of which all food industry books strive to achieve. Unfortunately, with this book, Brigid didn’t get near the summit.
I applaud her for the climb though.
And with her writing, I don’t doubt she’s got a better book in her.
Oh, and I’m probably going to buy her Caribbean cookbook.
Oh, and she made me want to take more cooking classes.
#netgalley #saltsweatandsteam
November 29, 2025
Thanks to Brigid Washington, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read this book, and it lived up to my expectations. The story follows the author as she goes through the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), one of the premier chefs schools in the world. She highlights the topics and challenges of each semester while providing a perspective of the impacts to her personal life.
As someone who enjoys all the cooking shows on TV, I was eager to learn what it was like to be in the CIA and the book clearly shows that the CIA is not for the casual student and the intellectual and emotional demands are great. But in the end, being a graduate of CIA means you are prepared to be a chef in any of the best restaurants in the world. I appreciated the insights to a world most of us will never see. Recommended.
I was excited to read this book, and it lived up to my expectations. The story follows the author as she goes through the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), one of the premier chefs schools in the world. She highlights the topics and challenges of each semester while providing a perspective of the impacts to her personal life.
As someone who enjoys all the cooking shows on TV, I was eager to learn what it was like to be in the CIA and the book clearly shows that the CIA is not for the casual student and the intellectual and emotional demands are great. But in the end, being a graduate of CIA means you are prepared to be a chef in any of the best restaurants in the world. I appreciated the insights to a world most of us will never see. Recommended.
April 28, 2026
I’ve been reaching for more memoirs lately, and even as someone who feels more at home baking than cooking, I have so much respect for the culinary world. The level of dedication it takes to train at a place like Culinary Institute of America, and then actually run a kitchen….is intense, and this book doesn’t shy away from that.
What surprised me most was how emotional it is-there’s ambition, but also doubt, frustration, and real self reflection woven through it. When the author referenced C. S. Lewis …“I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief”-it took me right back to reading A Grief Observed. I highly recommend it. It’s such a profound book and I loved seeing it here because it shows this story is about so much more than just her education or time in the food world.
This felt like such an honest look at what it means to push yourself toward something difficult, even when you’re not fully sure where it will lead. It’s about more than food-it’s about identity, growth, and figuring out who you are when things get hard. I found myself completely absorbed. Even if cooking isn’t your thing, there’s something deeply relatable in the way she tells her story.
One of the lines that really stood out to me:
“Hunger is emptiest when you don’t know what it means to be, to feel, to live fully…”
That idea…learning not just a craft, but yourself, runs through the whole book…and it’s what makes it so memorable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What surprised me most was how emotional it is-there’s ambition, but also doubt, frustration, and real self reflection woven through it. When the author referenced C. S. Lewis …“I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief”-it took me right back to reading A Grief Observed. I highly recommend it. It’s such a profound book and I loved seeing it here because it shows this story is about so much more than just her education or time in the food world.
This felt like such an honest look at what it means to push yourself toward something difficult, even when you’re not fully sure where it will lead. It’s about more than food-it’s about identity, growth, and figuring out who you are when things get hard. I found myself completely absorbed. Even if cooking isn’t your thing, there’s something deeply relatable in the way she tells her story.
One of the lines that really stood out to me:
“Hunger is emptiest when you don’t know what it means to be, to feel, to live fully…”
That idea…learning not just a craft, but yourself, runs through the whole book…and it’s what makes it so memorable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 13, 2025
As a dedicated Food Network viewer I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love back stories, so as I read this book I felt like I was walking beside Brigid as she navigated life as a student, journalist, and a woman thirsty for more. This book was both entertaining and educational. After reading Salt, Sweat, and Steam I am now able to relate to terms that are often spoken on culinary shows.
I recommend this book to foodies and readers with a taste for adventure. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
I recommend this book to foodies and readers with a taste for adventure. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If this book were fictionalized and re-written, it would have all the elements to create a spectacular romance novel. As it is written, however, I found myself bored and uninterested. Brigid Washington attended culinary school seemingly on a whim to get away from a boy. She had no interest in being a chef or anything adjacent. This book did not feel like the author had much of a story to tell other than the mundane ups and downs of her semi-charmed CIA education.
This would be a great read for anyone considering attending the CIA who might be seeking a behind the curtain glimpse of what classes are like. As much as I love food and cooking, I know I would have not made it in that world. It is too intense, and I fear it is simply not that serious. Speaking as a (community college) culinary school graduate and ex-adjunct: culinary school is not necessary for an education in cookery. You can learn just as much, or more, spending your time working in and around restaurants. The Culinary Institute of America is for the intensely passionate.
As far as the drama with her internship goes, I do not understand why she couldn’t just graduate and then get a job staging somewhere in Rome. Was the place she wanted to intern never hiring? I understand that financially that could lead to difficulty, but she had the drive to make things work, and surely most places would be inclined to hire a CIA graduate. I can’t wrap my head around her not being able to figure that out. I did enjoy, though, when Brigid briefly lived in Troy and worked in Saratoga and spoke about how drab they both were. So true.
Washington’s vocabulary kept me looking up words as I read, which is not a complaint, but at times she definitely could have used simpler wording. Maybe her lexicon is really that expansive, but it did feel that she was writing with a thesaurus open in her lap.
I am thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was excited to read this book. I am happy to have done so, even if it wasn’t a stellar read.
This would be a great read for anyone considering attending the CIA who might be seeking a behind the curtain glimpse of what classes are like. As much as I love food and cooking, I know I would have not made it in that world. It is too intense, and I fear it is simply not that serious. Speaking as a (community college) culinary school graduate and ex-adjunct: culinary school is not necessary for an education in cookery. You can learn just as much, or more, spending your time working in and around restaurants. The Culinary Institute of America is for the intensely passionate.
As far as the drama with her internship goes, I do not understand why she couldn’t just graduate and then get a job staging somewhere in Rome. Was the place she wanted to intern never hiring? I understand that financially that could lead to difficulty, but she had the drive to make things work, and surely most places would be inclined to hire a CIA graduate. I can’t wrap my head around her not being able to figure that out. I did enjoy, though, when Brigid briefly lived in Troy and worked in Saratoga and spoke about how drab they both were. So true.
Washington’s vocabulary kept me looking up words as I read, which is not a complaint, but at times she definitely could have used simpler wording. Maybe her lexicon is really that expansive, but it did feel that she was writing with a thesaurus open in her lap.
I am thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was excited to read this book. I am happy to have done so, even if it wasn’t a stellar read.
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