Culinary Careers

April 1, 2010
Hamilton, founder and CEO of the French Culinary Institute in New York, offers a guide that can best be described as a notebook for those considering the culinary profession, enhanced with her solid advice on job searching, applying, and negotiating offers. Listings of a few helpful web sites and books round out her work. The embedded quotations from culinary students would have more impact if they were not anonymous. Smilow, president of the Institute of Culinary Education, and McBride (coauthor, "Chocolate Epiphany") offer a combination of solid advice, written in a personable style, and interviews with successful people employed in several different culinary niches, including pastry and baking, catering, management, food artisans, marketing, nutrition, and education. The book closes with listings of culinary/hospitality programs, continuing education programs, professional organizations, and scholarships. Many books for those researching careers in food focus on only one area; however, like Ken Mondschein's "Food and Culinary Arts", these books both take a broader view. VERDICT Hamilton's book is not recommended for libraries because it is simply too interactive; to get its full benefit, users must annotate it. Smilow's book, at only a few dollars more and with much more content, is recommended for readers seeking a thorough introductory exposure to today's professional possibilities in the culinary world.Eric Petersen, Kansas City P.L., MO

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.