The updated edition of the book Julia Child called "a 'must' for aspiring chefs"-the James Beard Award-winning guide to one of today's hottest careers

With more and more chefs achieving celebrity status, interest in the exciting world of today's leading chefs is higher than ever. Essential reading for anyone who loves food, Becoming a Chef gives an entertaining and informative insider's look at this dynamic profession, going behind the scenes to look into some of the most celebrated restaurant kitchens across the nation. More than 60 leading chefs-including some of the newest up-and-coming-discuss the inspiration, effort, and quirks of fate that turned would-be painters, anthropologists, and football players into culinary artists.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page (both of New York, NY) are the authors of the bestselling titles Culinary Artistry, Dining Out, Chef's Night Out. Dornenburg has cooked professionally at Arcadia, Judson Grill, and March in New York City and Biba and the East Coast Grill in Boston. Page, the recipient of the 1997 Melitta Bentz Award for Women's Achievement, is a graduate of the Harvard Business School.

List of Recipes.
Acknowledgments.
Foreword.
Preface.

1. Chefs: Yesterday and Toady.
2. Early Influences: Discovering a Passion for Food.
3. Cooking Schools: Learning in the Classroom.
4. Apprenticing: Learning in the Kitchen.
5. Getting In: Starting at the Bottom.
6. Developing as a Cook: The Next Level.
7. The Business of Cooking: Operating and Running a Restaurant.
8. Travel, Eating, and Reading: Learning Something New Everyday.
9. Preserving in the Face of Reality: Through Bad Times and Good.
10. What's Next?: The Chef as Alchemist.

Appendix A: Selected Professional Cooking Schools in the United States and Abroad.
Appendix B: Leading Culinary Organizations.
Appendix C: Selected Culinary Media and Resources.
Appendix D: Brief Biographies of Chefs Interviewed.
Index.