101 Things I Learned® in Culinary School (Second Edition)

An informative, illustrated guide to food, cooking, and the culinary profession by a former White House chef—now in a revised second edition featuring 50% new material
 
“This book is all meat with no fat. . . . Sure to surprise and enlighten even the most informed gourmands.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review), on the first edition of 101 Things I Learned® in Culinary School
 
A chef must master countless techniques, memorize a mountain of information, and maintain a Zen master’s calm. This book illuminates the path to becoming a culinary professional by sharing important kitchen fundamentals and indispensable advice, including 
 
• practical how-tos, from holding a knife to calibrating a thermometer to creating a compost pile
• ways to emphasize, accent, deepen, and counterpoint flavors
• why we prefer a crisp outside and tender inside in most foods
• understanding wine labels and beer basics
• how to narrow innumerable culinary options to a manageable few, whether selecting knives, oils, thickeners, flours, potatoes, rice, or salad greens
• how a professional kitchen is organized and managed to maintain its mission
 
Written by a culinary professor and former White House chef, 101 Things I Learned® in Culinary School is a concise, highly readable resource for culinary students, home chefs, casual foodies, and anyone else trying to find their way around—or simply into—the kitchen.

Louis Eguaras is department chair at the Culinary Arts Institute at Los Angeles Mission College, Chef Instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, and a former White House chef. He has cooked for two U.S. Presidents and numerous dignitaries and celebrities, including Nelson Mandela, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, and the Rolling Stones. He lives with his wife in Newport Beach, California.

Matthew Frederick is an architect, urban designer, instructor of design and writing, and the creator of the acclaimed 101 Things I Learned series. He lives in New York's Hudson Valley.