The Soul of a Chef

I found this excerpt from Michael Ruhlman's The Soul of a Chef, while researching my French Laundry stories. Some cool words from the excerpt:

I knew that what the CIA taught was valid and maybe existed somewhere, it wasn't the norm. Standards and expectations varied enormously throughout the country. And only rarely was it the stuff of my imagination, created in that belljar-perfect atmosphere of the CIA.

But how could I reconcile all those things I'd learned by becoming a professional cook myself and studying the work of the professional kitchen? I had changed, but were the changes counterfeit, was my entire attitude a kind of lie? Did I really need to run everywhere I went?

(CIA stands for Culinary Institute of America!)

It makes me want to buy the book. And the fact that he co-wrote the excellent French Laundry Cookbook which I love makes it even more compelling!