The Reach of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman

[ronnie_suburban]

For fans of restaurant industry books, newly-released The Reach of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman is going to be a delight to read. It’s the 3rd book in the “of a Chef” series, which Ruhlman has penned over the last decade. After only a few pages, I was reminded of why I consider Ruhlman’s culinary books to be the gold standard. The writing is typical Ruhlman: tight, richly-detailed, intensely personal and remarkably informative.

The Reach of a Chef completes the progression (at least for now) that runs from The Making of a Chef through The Soul of a Chef. This latest installment provides a history of the evolution of celebrity chefdom over the past 10 years as well as several current snapshots of notable chefs in their efforts to go beyond the kitchen. It's also an incidental and unofficial journal of Ruhlman’s role in the evolution of modern chefs. And while Ruhlman doesn’t intend to tell his own story, it’s fairly clear that only someone with his background and experience set could tell this story in such a meaningful way.

What Ruhlman does, which few others could duplicate, is provide a highly-focused personal context which helps to create empathy and understanding between the reader and the subjects profiled in the book -- folks the reader will likely never meet who toil in ways most readers will only, well . . . read about. He gets inside these chef’s lives emotionally and delivers details from their worlds so deftly and with such clarity that even non-chefs can easily relate and understand.

To be sure, there is a tremendous amount of riveting and salient information here. There are great profiles of up-and-coming chefs like Grant Achatz and Melissa Kelly, candid conversations with industry giants like Thomas Keller and even soulful personal moments for Mr. Ruhlman himself, as he returns, once again, to the place where it all began for him, the Culinary Institute of America’s campus in Hyde Park, NY.

More than any other aspect of Reach, my favorite part of the book focuses on the current struggles of modern chefs to convert their reputations into brands which will ultimately, hopefully, bring them affluence and fame. At one point Ruhlman recalls a conversation he had years back with Thomas Keller who was suggesting that there were, in fact, no templates or role models for such conversions. Keller, Ruhlman recalls, felt that Wolfgang Puck was the earliest pioneer in this area and that younger chefs with aspirations of celebrity chefdom, would benefit greatly from his advice.

But instead of providing a merely perfunctory look the business side of things, Ruhlman ‘busts it open’ by laying out specific examples (with actual numbers) from chefs such as Michael Symon and Brian Polcyn (both Soul of a Chef alums) who are both currently in transition with their business empires. The detailed accounts of these chefs’ business dealings paint a compelling picture and help us to understand just how much work and financial investment it takes for even a great chef to ascend beyond the kitchen. These chefs have as many -- or more -- pans on the fire than in their actual kitchens.

The research behind Reach is meticulous. There’s so much fantastic information provided that one almost feels like a voyeur reading it. It’s pretty clear that Ruhlman not only knows exactly who to consult when asking questions that are outside his areas of direct expertise, but that he possesses a masterful skill for asking just the right questions. People want to answer Ruhlman’s questions. Often, it feels like they cannot wait to do so. This makes The Reach of a Chef positively riveting.

Will the Celebrity-Chef bubble eventually pop? One can’t help but get the feeling that Ruhlman believes it will but he doesn’t exactly come and say as much. And, given the huge array of opportunities available for chefs these days -- which are detailed wonderfully in Reach -- it seems hard to believe that it will pop any time soon. There are countless voids which have yet to be identified, cultivated and filled. Yet, at the core of it, Ruhlman takes comfort in his belief that the great chefs -- true chefs -- and their kitchens will always endure. And for those dedicated and fortunate enough to permanently transcend the kitchen . . . well, that’s all just gravy.

=R=

[brooklyncook]

I am EXTREMELY geeked for this. Both of his "of a Chef" books were great reads, IMO, and I'm definitely looking forward to tearing through this one.

[Kevin72]

Yeah, I'm pumped also. This one snuck under my radar; I just recently found out about it. A new Bourdain book and a new Ruhlman book and, oh lookie, it's my birthday next month!

[ronnie_suburban]

There is a brief interview with Michael Ruhlman, about the new book, which appears at Time Out New York's web site:

Do you think the celebrity-chef phenomenon will keep growing or fizzle out?

Well, I think it’s going to change. There will be so many great chefs out there, so many alumni from star chef kitchens, that it will be less important who the chef is, and more important what the actual eating experience is. It can’t keep growing.

Kitchen reverential

=R=

[maggiethecat]

Thanks, ronnie, for the enlightening review. I'm off to Amazon: I think I'll call it a belated Mother's Day gift.

[molto e]

Ron,

I have not read the first two books in the series. Can I just start with this one or should I start with the first one. Ruhlman has penned some of my favorite cookbooks.

Molto E

[ronnie_suburban]

Ron,

        I have not read the first two books in the series. Can I just start with this one or should I start with the first one. Ruhlman has penned some of my favorite cookbooks.

Molto E

←

Eliot,

You can definitely start here and afterwards, you'll probably want to go back and read the others.

=R=

[BigboyDan]

Celebrity Chef: scourge of the industry.

[ronnie_suburban]

A brief heads up on some upcoming appearances by Michael Ruhlman:

May 23 - The Butcher Shop - Boston (w/ Brian Polcyn)

May 24 - Borders/Time Warner Center - NYC

May 25 - CIA - Hyde Park, NY

June 6 - Joseph Beth Booksellers - Cleveland, OH

For further details, please check the eG Calendar.

=R=

[Hest88]

Oh great news! Michael Ruhlman is such an engaging writer; he's one of the few writers of any genre or topic that I don't mind buying in hardcover.

[daisy17]

Frank Bruni seems to like it

Diner's Journal

I personally can't wait to read it; Soul of a Chef is one of my favorite books ever. Just reread the section on Thomas Keller in advance of my recent meal at the French Laundry. Ruhlman gets it exactly right.

[Music]

I pre-ordered "The Reach of a Chef" from Amazon and am eagerly awaiting it. As a culinary nonprofessional, but enthusiastic foodie, I found "The Making of a Chef" and "The Soul of a Chef" fascinating. And I learned a lot. Ruhlman is an excellent writer, and I'll buy anything he writes.

[russ parsons]

michael's my buddy, so mine is not a disinterested perspective, but i really liked this book, in most ways more than the previous two. having been around the cuisinescene for a longer time, he is no longer so star-struck as he once might have seemed. he certainly appreciates chefs, still, but the appreciation is a more mature one. has the world of the chef changed in the last 10 years? being his elder, i would probably say that the things he is pointing out where already happening back then, the wolfgang puck-ing of the profession. but it has certainly gained in numbers and speed.

for me, this new general skepticism makes his appreciation of the heroes--thomas k, masa, melissa kelly, grant achatz, etc., -- ring so much more true.

[moosnsqrl]

I just visited the CIA in Hyde Park the other day. I've been to the one at Greystoke many times but this was a more religious experience (and not just because the main building was formerly a jesuit seminary). It was rainy and foggy, adding to the drama. I really got a little weepy as my cab pulled into the campus.

I had to laugh, though, when the Admissions person suggested I read Ruhlman for a real 'taste' of what the program is like and then, when I went next door to Roth Hall there was practically an altar of Michael's books. I wonder how much their traffic has picked-up as a result of "Making" (and how much the CIA gets for every copy they sell ). Or does Ruhlman get a percentage of tuition from non-traditional students? Michael?

Kidding aside, sorry I was there a week too early; I would've enjoyed meeting him and having some help figuring out where the bad snowy roads were, the little bar in town, etc. I may have to re-read it.

[Bux]

. . . .

for me, this new general skepticism makes his appreciation of the heroes--thomas k, masa, melissa kelly, grant achatz, etc., -- ring so much more true.

←

BigboyDan is not far off the mark. Celebrity Chefs may well be a scourge, but as Russ suggests, it is all the more important that we recognize real talent in the profession. Articulate representation of our hero chefs is a boon. By the way, I don't think the celebrity status of guys such as Point or Dumaine had a negative impact on French cuisine in the twentieth century.

[maggiethecat]

Ron,

        I have not read the first two books in the series. Can I just start with this one or should I start with the first one. Ruhlman has penned some of my favorite cookbooks.

Molto E

←

Eliot:

It's not necessary to read them in order, but it would be more fun, and more interesting. (You've got a treat in store.)

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

I'm reading Reach from the beginning, diving into Bits willy-nilly like a caffeinated cockroach, and so far it confirms my earliest conclusion; Ruhlman is the Beatles, Bourdain is the Stones.

Today, we don't need 4 guys to represent the archetype. In our sophistication we realize that Michael has facets of his personality that represent John, Paul, George & Ringo, and just as John Lennon was the Beatles' ambassador to the Stones fans, there's a part of Ruhlman that resonates with the Stern section of Tony's peanut gallery.

I also get the feeling that if Grant (chefg to you eGullet aficionados, as noted in the book) suspected that the mechanics he took his car to weren't giving 100%, he'd elbow them aside and tune the fuel injection via the car's computer to deliver 100 extra horsepower and discard enough weight in the car to have the effect of adding another 50.

[saltylj]

The book's great, but I have to wonder: why notrip to Chicago? The forgotten city yet again.

[ronnie_suburban]

The book's great, but I have to wonder: why notrip to Chicago? The forgotten city yet again.

←

Well, there was quite a bit about Alinea in the book.

If your talking about a book tour, I know that Mr. Ruhlman's appearance schedule is still being worked out. The few upcoming east coast dates already on the books will, hopefully, be just the beginning.

=R=

[jefferyc]

I'm a huge fan of Mr. Ruhlman's books but I'll wait until the trade paperback version comes out. I've worn out 2 copies of search and soul and would rather replace a worn out paperback than hardback.

[BigboyDan]

Well, I prefer to ring the call to the food. The "recognition" system now rewards those who aspire to be a celebrity in and of itself. A pattern evolves: get publicist; do cook book; aquire syncophants; do food events; make money from celebrity status. At least Child, Pepin, and Prudhomme used their celebrity to promote their food. If I see one more California avocado ad with a hawking Miller, delGrande, Pyles, or Fearing...

Can't wait until we laud certain plumbers... wait, This Old House does that...

Edited May 22, 2006 by BigboyDan (log)

[MT-Tarragon]

My wife gave me a copy as an anniversary present, yesterday. Unfortunately I won't get a chance to read it until the end of the quarter next month.

[tan319]

I look forward to reading my Fave food writer ( at least the Beatles one)'s newest book.

Hoping the Achatz & Keller chapters rule!

[saltylj]

The book is great in its entirety. But, I think some of the best stuff definetly centers on the Alinea/Primo comparison and the detailing of how the French Laundry kitchen runs.

Edited May 28, 2006 by saltylj (log)

[maggiethecat]

Hoping the Achatz & Keller chapters rule!

←

Yes, they rock hard, but others are just as good -- why the heck had I never before heard of Melissa Kelly, for instance?

ronnie and russ have done a good job of both reviewing the book and hitting the important themes, but I read "Reach" cover to cover today and I thought I'd express my enthusiasm before I get sidetracked.

I’d been a little worried that “Reach” would be a watered-down third-in-the “Of a Chef” franchise. Jeez the man has been putting out what seems to be a cookbook a year (all of which I own) and I was a tad afraid that this was going to be just a compilation of pieces on the various kitchen hotshots he’s come to know.

Wrong, all wrong. Why had I doubted him – I reread “Making” and “Soul” at least once a year. “Reach of a Chef” takes on big issues here about the state of the restaurant business, “celebrity” chefdom, how a single chef like Keller or Emeril can make a huge contribution to raising restaurant standards or creating interest in cooking. All you Rachael bashers out there (he actually mentions the RR thread here at eGullet) will do well to read what Ruhlman thinks of her mostly positive influence. (Turns out she’s even prettier in person.)

He spends time considering the career and trajectory of Grant Achatz (our own chefg) Melissa Kelly’s “Romantic Ideal” and the stubborn my-way-or–the– highway expensive perfectionism if Masa Takayama. (Lots of nice personal detail everywhere in the book: Masa loves Krispy Kremes.)

I read it in a sitting, the ultimate seal of approval.

(Like the courteous Midwesterner he is, Ruhlman gives eGullet credit where credit is due. Very nice.)