Review of Heat by Bill Buford prepared by Brenda

Those of us who attended the last book club meeting were in agreement that this was a superbly written book, giving insights into a little-known world of the gourmet chef. We would have liked to discuss it with others who did, and did not like the book, but it was not to be…

Journalist Bill Buford explores the mysteries and kitchen secrets of EVERYTHING that goes into and onto the plate of a restaurant meal. Buford’s book project begins as a chronicle of the life and times of the famed chef, Maurio Batali, of NYC’s three-star restaurant, Babbo. His curiosity of what goes on behind the scenes in a gourmet restaurant soon becomes an obsession as he attempts to emulate his subject as Batali’s cook/kitchen slave. But after learning what goes on in the various stations, the pasta station, the grill, the pastry station, the plate-and-serve station, the produce prep station, etc., and even getting promoted to line cook, this is not enough. Buford then wants to study with the masters that shaped the creative genius of Mario Batali. After several trips to Europe to apprentice with pasta makers, butchers and noted chefs, Buford gives us vivid picture of the entire process of how a gourmet meal becomes gourmet.

He delves into the history and philosophy of cooking, regional variations and practices, the importance of buying fresh and local (when available, as long as it is not inferior) and shaping the weekly menu around that, not selecting a menu then trying to find the food to make it. Even purchasing meat requires an education in what the animal was fed, and where it was raised, or under what conditions a particular crop was harvested. And then there are the strong personalities one finds in the great restaurant kitchens of the world. There was a repeated theme of these larger-than-life chefs, all competitive, high-energy, in-your-face, socially inappropriate, ECCENTRIC, emotionally-charged, temperamental, and yet extremely quick (in body and mind), talented individuals. One chef stated “I prefer working with women. There is so much less testosterone bravura.”

The book is “peppered” with recipes, food terms, wine pairings, and helpful cooking techniques. And there is something for everyone to “chew” on here; a travel guide to fine dining and drinking as well as a travel guide to the great food regions of Italy, France, and England:13 pages written about cookery, travel, and literature.

Yes, Buford and some of his subjects are quite poetic at times:

"Teresa was effervescently happy. She hummed, broke into song, laughed at the slightest absurdity, and because she found the world delightfully absurd, she laughed all the time, unless she laughed too hard, and then she cried. "

"It’s not the breed but the breeding."

"For Dario, implicit in the culture of a place was its language and its art AND its food—maybe the most direct expression because the habits of cooking and eating arise out of the land itself."

And referring to the slow, steady curing and cooking of old, “You cannot do traditional work at a modern pace.”

For someone who is not passionate about fine food and drink, this book would be a difficult read. But as a psychological study in obsessive, exhibitionist personalities and a rare glimpse into some of the great kitchens and how a dinner dish comes together, it is an exciting read. At times Buford repeats himself, and we’re not sure if it’s bad editing or perhaps to underscore a point. And he borrows liberally from other “foodies”; even his title is taken from British chef Marco Pierre White’s book “White Heat.” Interestingly Buford comes full circle in this book from his first dinner with Mario-the-great-chef to the last chapter, another dinner with Mario where he is more the chef’s equal, even being encouraged to open his own restaurant.

Oh, did I mention that during Buford’s entire “one-track fetish with all things cookery,” that he was married? His wife Jessica Green, also a successful journalist, sometimes accompanied him to Europe. She must be a saint, tolerating his taking over their apartment kitchen for a week while he dresses every part of a pig; he would go for days without seeing her, coming home during the wee hours after cooking late then staying up until dawn trying to unwind. Buford (at age 50) and his wife are now parents of twin boys. In a a quote from Dante’s Divine Comedy, he dedicates his book “For Jessica …che move il sole e l’altre stelle” (“whose love moves the sun and the stars”).