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The Saucier's Apprentice: One Long Strange Trip through the Great Cooking Schools of Europe
The education of a barbarian in the temples of haute cuisine . In the blink of an eye, Bob Spitz turned fifty, finished an eight-year book project and a fourteen-year marriage that left him nearly destitute, had his heart stolen and broken on the rebound, and sought salvation the only way he knew how. He fled to Europe, where he hopscotched among the finest cooking schools in pursuit of his dream. The urge to cook like a virtuoso, to unravel the mysteries of the process, had become an obsession.Spitz hit the fabled cooking-school circuit in a series of idyllic European villages, and The Saucier's Apprentice is a chronicle of his exploits. Combining an outrageous travelogue with gastronomic lore, hands-on cooking instruction, hot-tempered chefs, local personalities, and a batch of memorable recipes, Spitz's odyssey recounts the transformation of a professional writer―and lifelong kitchen amateur―into a world-class cook.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2008
About the author
Bob Spitz
14 books126 followersBob Spitz is the award-winning author of The Beatles, a New York Times best seller, as well as seven other nonfiction books and a screenplay. He has represented Bruce Springsteen and Elton John in several capacities. His articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times Magazine; The Washington Post; Rolling Stone; and O, The Oprah Magazine, among others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 7, 2012
More a mediocre travel-log and less about cooking, this isn't really one for the foodie crowd unless you're in the same head space Spitz was here- disjointed, adrift and figuring that cooking schools are as good a distraction as any.
The writing itself is professional, as I would expect. But Spitz doesnt really give us much insight into either himself or the European cooking school circuit. It's a portrait of the mid-life crisis of a man hamstrung by his own doubts. His inexplicable attachment to a woman who doesnt want him. His thinly veneered disgust of upper-class hobbyists... while pulling strings and using connections to get into kitchens he hasnt the skills to be be any closer to than the dining room. His insistance on his own superiority for being "serious" about cooking when he's anything but.
All in all, Mr Spitz, I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation, but a therapist would have been cheaper and would not have wasted the time of world-class chefs.
The writing itself is professional, as I would expect. But Spitz doesnt really give us much insight into either himself or the European cooking school circuit. It's a portrait of the mid-life crisis of a man hamstrung by his own doubts. His inexplicable attachment to a woman who doesnt want him. His thinly veneered disgust of upper-class hobbyists... while pulling strings and using connections to get into kitchens he hasnt the skills to be be any closer to than the dining room. His insistance on his own superiority for being "serious" about cooking when he's anything but.
All in all, Mr Spitz, I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation, but a therapist would have been cheaper and would not have wasted the time of world-class chefs.
November 29, 2016
Sigh.
The only reason I actually finished this book was that it checked off another item on the Book Riot 2016 Read Harder challenge (read a food memoir).
To summarise: the writer is in financial jeopardy, having just finished a book on the Beatles (which a quick google finds a distinct dissatisfaction with his work), and fairly recently divorced. He likes to hold dinner parties for his friends, including a woman he wants to practically bludgeon into being his girlfriend, even though she does everything but scream 'it's never going to happen!'. His food usually fails, especially when he does things like get into an intense conversation while cooking a fish that should only take five minutes at the most. Gee, I wonder why it ended up overcooked.
So, he decides to do a multiple month tour of cooking schools in Europe (where did the money come from?), getting upset when he arrives at a restaurant, and the head chef isn't willing to give him all of his attention. He expects the 'should be my girlfriend' to join him, and gets really upset when she decides not to (he portrays her as rather bitchy, but I was cheering when she finally backed out).
He cooks his way across France and Italy, being snooty to most of the people he meets who are there for the same reason as him (they aren't serious enough for him). He comes across as arrogant to the extreme.
However, the recipes were interesting, and his descriptions of the actual cooking was great. Too bad the rest of the book makes it clear that he is a first class prick.
The only reason I actually finished this book was that it checked off another item on the Book Riot 2016 Read Harder challenge (read a food memoir).
To summarise: the writer is in financial jeopardy, having just finished a book on the Beatles (which a quick google finds a distinct dissatisfaction with his work), and fairly recently divorced. He likes to hold dinner parties for his friends, including a woman he wants to practically bludgeon into being his girlfriend, even though she does everything but scream 'it's never going to happen!'. His food usually fails, especially when he does things like get into an intense conversation while cooking a fish that should only take five minutes at the most. Gee, I wonder why it ended up overcooked.
So, he decides to do a multiple month tour of cooking schools in Europe (where did the money come from?), getting upset when he arrives at a restaurant, and the head chef isn't willing to give him all of his attention. He expects the 'should be my girlfriend' to join him, and gets really upset when she decides not to (he portrays her as rather bitchy, but I was cheering when she finally backed out).
He cooks his way across France and Italy, being snooty to most of the people he meets who are there for the same reason as him (they aren't serious enough for him). He comes across as arrogant to the extreme.
However, the recipes were interesting, and his descriptions of the actual cooking was great. Too bad the rest of the book makes it clear that he is a first class prick.
September 24, 2010
The topic was interesting. The recipes were quite good. The parts that were actually about food and cooking were fairly enjoyable. But the author comes off as such a spoiled, condescending, pretentious douchebag that I was constantly rolling my eyes at his angst-ridden bullshit. This guy could teach 16 year old goths how to mope and whine.
January 30, 2018
could not get through it because the way he talked about women was so jarring and offensive - and totally unnecessary to the ostensible plot. boo.
March 19, 2020
He traveled Europe to learn the cuisines of the countries there, signing up for cooking classes willy-nilly. The results were mixed, with some lovely experiences and some really, really bad. You'd think there would be a better way to fulfill one's intentions to travel and learn the local cuisines. The subtitle references "the great cooking schools of Europe," but I don't think so; more accidentally found and experienced.
August 24, 2008
I have always been a bit suspicious of books which are the product of the author setting out to have an experience so he can write about it. This book shows why my suspicion is often well founded. The author is a professional writer and amateur chef who was searching for something to write about for his next book. Going to Europe and taking some cooking classes recommended itself, and thus was The Saucier's Apprentice spawned.
It's not the greatest foodie book, and isn't even the best one to describe what the great cooking schools are like. But the truth is, the author didn't really attend the great cooking schools of Europe. What he really did was spend a few days in a couple of restaurant kitchens, some well known, some not so well known, as well as taking a few "classes" at "schools" that offer one or two week courses of instruction in chalets or big houses in France and Italy. Sorry, but these are not "the great cooking schools of Europe."
The author has an inflated view of himself, (i.e., he's a food snob) thinking that knowing a bit about gourmet cooking and eating makes him better than those don't know the difference between a souffle and flan.
It's also way too long, weighing in at over 300 pages. Biographies of people who lived long and rich lives (The Man Who Loves China, to cite but one example) have been written in fewer pages. However, to its credit, the book does include what look to be some pretty good recipes.
It's not the greatest foodie book, and isn't even the best one to describe what the great cooking schools are like. But the truth is, the author didn't really attend the great cooking schools of Europe. What he really did was spend a few days in a couple of restaurant kitchens, some well known, some not so well known, as well as taking a few "classes" at "schools" that offer one or two week courses of instruction in chalets or big houses in France and Italy. Sorry, but these are not "the great cooking schools of Europe."
The author has an inflated view of himself, (i.e., he's a food snob) thinking that knowing a bit about gourmet cooking and eating makes him better than those don't know the difference between a souffle and flan.
It's also way too long, weighing in at over 300 pages. Biographies of people who lived long and rich lives (The Man Who Loves China, to cite but one example) have been written in fewer pages. However, to its credit, the book does include what look to be some pretty good recipes.
October 1, 2009
I love to cook. I also have a family of picky young children, genetically influenced by their picky father. Day-to-day cooking is much more of a chore than an expression of creativity. But I still love to read books about food and cooking-- but not this one. To tell you the truth, Bob Spitz's memoir depressed me. He writes about having a midlife crisis-- finishing a big book, getting divorced, and losing his moorings. So instead of buying a sports car or hooking up with a floozy, he somehow scored an expenses-paid trip through the cooking schools of Europe, where he learned to make perfect omelets, pack in course after course of Neapolitan specialties, brown-nose chefs, and turn up his (now brown) nose at the rich American housewives who ended up being his classmates. According to Spitz's exacting standards (only made more exacting on the course of his journey), my attempts to feed my family would be deemed pathetic. Sometimes, however, food is just about family and sustenance. And that's enough.
June 10, 2022
I can definitely understand why more than a handful of the people Bob Spitz encountered during his travels in Europe instantly disliked him. They probably had the high EQ he lacks and realized within a nanosecond of spending time in his vicinity that he is a self-important asshat who looks down on just about everyone who doesn't have the culinary skills or interest he has--or thinks he has.
When Carolyn, the romantic partner who wisely ended things with Spitz, told him that his Friday night meals were exhausting to attend, I initially thought her observation was just a reflection of her acerbic personality. As the book progressed, the author's need to shine and be recognized--hell, show off is more like it--became more and more apparent. His entitled personality and dismissive approach to learning about cooking cast a pall like soot-covered walls on the culinary experiences he describes.
When Carolyn, the romantic partner who wisely ended things with Spitz, told him that his Friday night meals were exhausting to attend, I initially thought her observation was just a reflection of her acerbic personality. As the book progressed, the author's need to shine and be recognized--hell, show off is more like it--became more and more apparent. His entitled personality and dismissive approach to learning about cooking cast a pall like soot-covered walls on the culinary experiences he describes.
June 27, 2020
This was a good story about a middle aged, recently divorced man trying to find something he feels is missing in his life. He loves to wine and dine his friends but is insecure in his relationships with all of them. The kithen is his comfort zone so he wants to master the art of cooking and understanding more about food.
I like reading about the ins and outs of working in a kitchen, developing food combinations, tastes and smells! Bob writes a realistic account of his adventures and the chefs and people he meets in his quest to become proficient in the kitchen.
I like reading about the ins and outs of working in a kitchen, developing food combinations, tastes and smells! Bob writes a realistic account of his adventures and the chefs and people he meets in his quest to become proficient in the kitchen.
February 4, 2022
While well written and full of interesting and educational anecdotes, I just cant get past the constant use of female metaphors that are annoying at best and derogatory and inflammatory (maybe even a bit rapey?) at worst. For example, “…the mist rising around it like a showgirl’s slip” or the way Spitz had to “…struggle to keep my hands in my lap” in reference to a particularly appealing restaurateur. I bought this book from the bargain bin and the bin is clearly where it belongs.
February 22, 2020
I finished it only because of my interest in the food cooking options in Europe. The author was not afraid to reveal his personal flaws, but it made the trip less enjoyable. The few recipes he gives are a bit sketchy. For example, duck breast sautéed for 6 minutes each side with no mention of scoring the fatty skin. I might try the sauce.
July 29, 2023
Ever since "Kitchen Confidential" by the guru himself, Anthony Bourdain, I cannot get enough of these foodie bios. I've read everyone of Ruth Reichel's books-who is the best. Bob Spitz's book did not disappoint.
August 27, 2016
You know, you go to the big downtown library and you pick your book off the shelf. You take it to the front desk and hand it to the girl who works there. Now these library types are quiet people who don't always look you in the eye. They put up with their low-paying jobs because the love being around books, love handling them. They love books more than they love people, I'm pretty sure. It's a not-quite-human experience, this passing your book back and forth and bleeping it through the check-out scanner.
But I gave The Saucier's Apprentice to the girl and her eyes lit up just a little bit and she peeked out from her quiet, withdrawn face. "Best title ever," she said, as she cracked a tiny smile.
And a darn good read. Mr. Spitz's life ran aground. Being a man who loved to throw dinner parties for his friends, what better way to soothe his sore soul than to send himself to a few cooking schools in Europe? With every delightful turn of phrase, the reader travels along with him as he and another man turn the act of making souffle into a contest of manhood; as a snooty French chef refuses to teach Spitz anything until Spitz shows he can make a decent omelet (guess how many omelets it takes); as an American expat woman introduces Spitz to the art of cooking rabbit.
Spitz can't do it. To him, they're bunnies, soft and adorable, with cute long ears. But the woman goads him further by taking a jar off the shelf, pulling out a dark and ominous object and making him eat it. Find out for yourself what it is.
Spitz includes his cooking-school recipes. I don't plan to try them, because he and I are not the same kind of cook. He likes simple, local ingredients, and improvisation. I like sure-bet formulas and don't get the vapors from ingredients like Velveeta and ketchup. However, I loved reading about chefs who flick the pan just so and the omelet slips out perfectly. Or they push the knife just so and the meat pops right off the bone. I loved reading about people who sat on terraces in what sounds like the most beautiful scenery on this earth and said, "MM-MM-MM" as they ate marvelous things.
But I gave The Saucier's Apprentice to the girl and her eyes lit up just a little bit and she peeked out from her quiet, withdrawn face. "Best title ever," she said, as she cracked a tiny smile.
And a darn good read. Mr. Spitz's life ran aground. Being a man who loved to throw dinner parties for his friends, what better way to soothe his sore soul than to send himself to a few cooking schools in Europe? With every delightful turn of phrase, the reader travels along with him as he and another man turn the act of making souffle into a contest of manhood; as a snooty French chef refuses to teach Spitz anything until Spitz shows he can make a decent omelet (guess how many omelets it takes); as an American expat woman introduces Spitz to the art of cooking rabbit.
Spitz can't do it. To him, they're bunnies, soft and adorable, with cute long ears. But the woman goads him further by taking a jar off the shelf, pulling out a dark and ominous object and making him eat it. Find out for yourself what it is.
Spitz includes his cooking-school recipes. I don't plan to try them, because he and I are not the same kind of cook. He likes simple, local ingredients, and improvisation. I like sure-bet formulas and don't get the vapors from ingredients like Velveeta and ketchup. However, I loved reading about chefs who flick the pan just so and the omelet slips out perfectly. Or they push the knife just so and the meat pops right off the bone. I loved reading about people who sat on terraces in what sounds like the most beautiful scenery on this earth and said, "MM-MM-MM" as they ate marvelous things.
December 19, 2011
This was an interesting book to get into right after reading 'Blood, Bones, and Butter' as it was another story that was a highly personal account of the authors relationship with food plus everyone in their life. I was definitely attracted to the cover and the overall story sounded cool. Man in his fifties gets to go around Europe and learn how to cook with some amazingly great chefs and fun cooking school blurbs. When I finally started reading this it was good but.. urgh! Spitz' narrative voice is irritating and he just seems to wine a lot! Yes he's getting over a divorce, plus more heartache, plus this and that grand life meaning thing but still! He wines that he hardly has any money yet he's off to Europe on a month long 'I feel like it would be really cool to learn how to cook' excursion. Don't tell me you have no money. Towards the end he starts to grow on you, though not really and not completely. For me anyhow. I like how he celebrated with his daughter in the end though. That was a nice touch and probably the best part of the whole book and it nearly brought a tear to my eye. Spitz describes his cooking experience and the people he encountered along the way equally well and I am looking forward to trying out some of the recipes he smatters throughout this book.
After reading this I am very interested in the food of Tuscany. Authentic, romantic, homey, love.. these are the words that come to mind now and I'm looking forward to discover this for myself.
Overall Bob Spitz writes an interesting story. I recommend this to anyone getting over a relationship.
After reading this I am very interested in the food of Tuscany. Authentic, romantic, homey, love.. these are the words that come to mind now and I'm looking forward to discover this for myself.
Overall Bob Spitz writes an interesting story. I recommend this to anyone getting over a relationship.
July 10, 2011
I did finish this book, mostly because I wanted to see what the cooking schools were like from anyone's perspective. I thought it might get better when he went from France to Italy. It did not. The author comes across as arrogant, snotty, and self-centered. I couldn't tell how he got hooked up with the private chefs, but it seemed that they were always annoyed by his presence. The cooking classes appear to have terrible, with two notable exceptions. The problem is that it seems that the only way this man gets along with other people is if he is interacting with them in a one-on-one situation involving cooking that is actually above his skill level. He seems to be targeted by mean people all over France and Italy, and never wants to practice any skills. He obsesses about his failed relationships. It would have been a better book without all that. He includes recipes, but I haven't tried any of them. His characterizations make me want to cook Italian food and leave French food totally alone.
May 1, 2014
The concept for the book was interesting but I would hardly call his experience as "travels through the great cooking schools of Europe". He had a few memorable experiences when he dropped the chip on his shoulder and shut up but his ego or attitude seems to have gotten the best of him in some of the more traditional "classes" as if he was above it. Plus he had no right to expect that fine dining kitchens were going to let him work aide by side with their chefs during regular service when he had zero cred. And then he sulked when told no or just to watch. The story might have been better had he spent the first half on the traveling and only highlighted the good experiences (where he was less of a horses behind), and then wrote about how he incorporated not just recipes but technique and thought and process into his cooking once home. Also perhaps one should write a book about improving as a home cook and a book about recovering from divorce by dating and getting dumped AT DIFFERENT times!
February 10, 2010
Didn't even finish it. This book sounded fascinating (and to be honest, the half that I read had a few such moments) but Spitz kept annoying me. He was egotistical and foolish and kept hoping on that relationship that was doomed to failure the first time the reader met her. His ongoing desire to have him join her and how he coped with her disappointing him lost him any empathy that he might have had from me. His attitude toward the kitchens he visited were stupid too. I enjoy cooking and feel like I'm pretty good at certain things but I would never expect a michelin rated chef to let me touch ANYTHING in his/her kitchen other than maybe a chair. What makes him so special? He should be grateful that he was invited in, even if it was to snap green beans.
This was on my ILL request list from my old library for so long it fell off the list. Now to find it in my new local library and be so disappointing was a sad realization.
This was on my ILL request list from my old library for so long it fell off the list. Now to find it in my new local library and be so disappointing was a sad realization.
September 23, 2012
Conclusion: I have yet to try the recipes given, but they can't be worse than the actual book. This is a "library book" at best.
I have to agree with all the other reviewers who have commented the following:
* Mr. Spitz whines and cries throughout most of the book about an unrequited love interest.
* Mr. Spitz comes over narcissistic, arogant, rude, obnoxious, spoiled, snobby and other adjectives I'm sure I'm missing... He scorns some people for not knowing the difference between a bain-marie and a... I forgot, but you get the point.
* The book is not a page turner.
* The book is not cohesive. I don't feel there's a strong point to the story, although he somewhat comes to some closure at the end.
Mr. Spitz is a very lucky man to have had an amazing experience cooking through Europe. His sour tone, childish pouts and air of superiority make this book, at best, 2/5. 1/5 if the recipes are bad. As another reviewer noted, a little humility would do Mr. Spitz wonders.
I have to agree with all the other reviewers who have commented the following:
* Mr. Spitz whines and cries throughout most of the book about an unrequited love interest.
* Mr. Spitz comes over narcissistic, arogant, rude, obnoxious, spoiled, snobby and other adjectives I'm sure I'm missing... He scorns some people for not knowing the difference between a bain-marie and a... I forgot, but you get the point.
* The book is not a page turner.
* The book is not cohesive. I don't feel there's a strong point to the story, although he somewhat comes to some closure at the end.
Mr. Spitz is a very lucky man to have had an amazing experience cooking through Europe. His sour tone, childish pouts and air of superiority make this book, at best, 2/5. 1/5 if the recipes are bad. As another reviewer noted, a little humility would do Mr. Spitz wonders.
July 10, 2015
WARNING: Have snacks around when you read this because it will make you so hungry!
This is one of the first memoirs I've read so I don't have a lot of experience to compare it to but I'll give it my best shot.
This book made me want to run into the kitchen, cook up a storm and devour the results! I was fascinated by the author's experiences, learning about various cooking techniques and the reputations of certain chefs and their cooking school. While I enjoyed the descriptiveness of the authors writing, I became a little frustrated with the authors choice of pacing; he rushed through places I wanted to linger and dallied in places I wanted to speed past.
The personal side of this memoir was engaging, relatable and I became much more invested in the story knowing that all these people exist somewhere in the world. I found the authors relationship with his daughter extremely touching and I loved how the author chose to end the book.
This is one of the first memoirs I've read so I don't have a lot of experience to compare it to but I'll give it my best shot.
This book made me want to run into the kitchen, cook up a storm and devour the results! I was fascinated by the author's experiences, learning about various cooking techniques and the reputations of certain chefs and their cooking school. While I enjoyed the descriptiveness of the authors writing, I became a little frustrated with the authors choice of pacing; he rushed through places I wanted to linger and dallied in places I wanted to speed past.
The personal side of this memoir was engaging, relatable and I became much more invested in the story knowing that all these people exist somewhere in the world. I found the authors relationship with his daughter extremely touching and I loved how the author chose to end the book.
March 1, 2015
After eight years working on a Beatles biography and then going through a divorce, Bob Spitz is finding joy in cooking Friday night dinners for his friends. Especially one drown in particular, a woman who may or may not return his affections. He, as he says "like so many others", decides to take a trip around Europe to shake up his life a little bit. And maybe some time spent with Carolyn will help decipher their relationship. Also, it will allow him to learn from some of the masters.
This isn't an "Everyman" kind of book. The author obviously has the means and connections to enjoys three months traveling around Europe and learning from master chefs, some of whom only take him on sufferance.
That being said, it is a really well-written book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The author's wry humor and ability to look at his situations with a eye in the past but glasses that are 20/20 present a fun and engaging story. Glad I finally read this book.
This isn't an "Everyman" kind of book. The author obviously has the means and connections to enjoys three months traveling around Europe and learning from master chefs, some of whom only take him on sufferance.
That being said, it is a really well-written book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The author's wry humor and ability to look at his situations with a eye in the past but glasses that are 20/20 present a fun and engaging story. Glad I finally read this book.
February 22, 2009
I really enjoyed Bob Spitz's travels throughout Europe in search of sooth and succor after a failed marriage and a failed romance. Along the way he spends eighteen weeks experimenting with eighteen different cooking schools and stages and posh restaurants. Its funny and educational and as someone who is planning to spend two weeks next year in Europe in a cooking school, I found it invaluable. It is insightful and entertaining at the same time. PLUS when I finished the book I emailed him that night and by morning he had replied with a very helpful email about which school he thought I might like in France.
April 2, 2013
A lot of people complained about this book, but I enjoyed it immensely. Similar in structure to "Mediterranean Summer," Bob Spitz removed himself from his depressing circumstances at home (an impending divorce, dismal finances, a tenuous relationship, lack of direction), and went on a sabbatical to really learn how to cook. Other reviewers found him self-centered and wallowing in his own pity party -- I saw him as examining his life and emotions to get out of his funk. After my own experience of self-examination, I could identify. Not sure if his recipes are worth it, but reading the book made me feel like I was in the kitchens with him across France and Italy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2016
I love cookbooks. I love to read. I love to travel. My secret pleasure are books such as this where there are little treasures of recipes. I have made the biscotti recipe already and the curried chicken fricassee is on tomorrow's dinner menu. Bob is one lucky guy to finance a four-month excursion and share his self discovery with us. I enjoyed the wit with which he shared his encounters with the people he met. I am also a bit more aware of the whole "cooking school" experience abroad. I will definitely do my research. The only thing I would love is to be in his kitchen and share one of those fabulous meals that he makes for his friends
February 6, 2017
Two stars for some pretty good recipes, and an interesting travelogue. As someone who has worked in good restaurants, I found his egotism in top kitchens -- opened to him to indulge his mid-life whim -- unappealing. Why WOULD a fine chef in a highly rated restaurant let this man anywhere near the line? And threaded throughout, the judgy whining. Oh my, the whining. Sometimes it is fun to read about an author's mid-life crisis. This is not one of those times.
June 29, 2009
Enjoyed this man's journey and envied his ability to have the time & money to do nothing but travel and learn to cook. His varied experiences were very interesting and entertaining. I enjoyed his descriptions of the "characters" he met along the way. I was a little put off by the use of so much French while he was in France. I understand that when he was in France he learned in French, but he was writting a book in English - felt pretentious to me that he did not translate the names of the recipes for us.
March 29, 2010
I am half way through this book and I probably won't finish it. For a New York Times best selling rock n' roll journalist this guy is a lazy and tedious writer. Cliche after cliche after cliche. His descriptions of Europe, Europeans and visiting Americans seem to come out of a 1950's tour guide written by someone who's never been there. And oh yeah isn't this suppose to be about food? Finally, his personality leaves much to be desired: alternately whiny, obtuse, ungrateful, pretentious; and boy, can he belabor a point. YAWN.
September 8, 2013
I wanted to like Bob Spitz a little bit more. Anyone who dedicates eight years and almost all their personal finances to writing a book they're passionate about should be similarly passionate about food if they commit to cooking enough to schedule an extensive tour of cooking schools in France and Italy. Despite the cute anecdotes, the bulk of the text is Spitz carping about how things weren't what he expected, about how was too skilled or not skilled enough, and about how his classmates aren't up to par. Skim it for the recipes, but not if you're looking for anything else.
June 7, 2016
I'll admit there was a lot of broke up and am wallowing but that is real life. I'm looking forward to trying some of the re pies in this story. Bob Spitz goes on a journey similar to Eat, Pray, Love without the praying and failing in the love department. He goes to several cooking institutes throughout France and Italy. A once in a lifetime experience I can dream of. Th opportunity to work with fancy chefs and home cooks seemed amazing. The writing style was descriptive in all the right ways. If felt like I could see, hear, and smell what he was describing.
September 4, 2008
I loved this book although I am a declared foodie- so be warned, if you don't like food, forget this one. Bob Spitz, who wrote the latest Beatles bio, writes the true story of his adventures learning to cook in Italy and France. Some of his experiences are wonderful and some not so much so, but as a writer he has a way of telling a story- and those recipes!- that had me laughing and wishing I had been along for the ride.
October 1, 2008
A chapter and a half in and I'm returning this book to the library post haste. Maybe its the fact that he wrote this just after his divorce, but the man strike me as a misogynist and an ass. He's horribley snobby and judgemental in describing even his friends. The breaking point for me was when he described him and a friend following the friend's younger girlfriend to a restaurant by writing, "Lucy led us around the corner like a streetwalker with two excited johns." Charming.
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