So, You Want to Be a Chef?

September 1, 2013

Gr 7 Up-Chock-full of interviews with successful chefs, both renowned and unknown; sidebars with fun factoids (e.g., the history of the cupcake); and advice for aspiring chefs, this title will be a hit among teens who are serious about a career in the culinary arts. That said, it is definitely not a book for novice cooks. Recipes are measured in grams and call for vegetables to be minced. Additionally, ingredients mentioned may be a bit esoteric for unseasoned chefs. For example, one recipe is for Golden Chanterelle and Leek Tart with Chevre. Each chapter focuses on a different career (pastry chef, food critic, etc.) and includes a recipe, interview, day-in-the-life agenda of a chef, or a brief history of a particular food. This cluttered format is half fun, and half a headache, as it may cause some readers to get sidetracked. Additional "Challenges" are incredibly vague as well: "Create a tasty sauce....Find a basic recipe and make it. Think of three different ways you could improve on that basic sauce. Make those three new sauces." Serious aspiring chefs will be inspired by the "Sprouting" profiles, which feature biographical information about young culinary artists and how they are working toward their own career goals.-Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY

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