Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
Who Would Like This Book:
If you enjoy food memoirs, ever fantasized about what really goes on in a professional kitchen, or want a deep dive into the passionate world of Italian cuisine, "Heat" is a treat. Bill Buford's outsider perspective gives a relatable, often witty glimpse into the joys, pains, and chaos of restaurant life. There’s a hefty side of culinary history and a cast of quirky, unforgettable characters - perfect for fans of Anthony Bourdain, Ruth Reichl, or anyone who loves behind-the-scenes foodie adventures.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the book meandering, unfocused, and occasionally hard to follow. If you prefer a tight narrative or want a pure biography of Mario Batali, you might end up frustrated. There’s a lot of tangent - and some felt sections on food history or butcher apprenticeships dragged compared to the kitchen-action. Others were put off by the less-than-glamorous realities of kitchen culture and some unflattering chef behaviors.
About:
Bill Buford takes the reader on a culinary journey through his experiences working as an unpaid apprentice in the kitchens of Babbo and later training with master pasta makers and a butcher in Italy. The book provides insights into the world of professional cooking, detailing Buford's adventures and misadventures, his love for food, and his quest for culinary knowledge. Through vivid descriptions and engaging storytelling, Buford shares his experiences, from chopping carrots in a New York restaurant to learning the art of butchery in Italy.
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From The Publisher:
The book that helped define a genre: Heat is a beloved culinary classic, an adventure in the kitchen and into Italian cuisine, by Bill Buford, author of Dirt.
Bill Buford was a highly acclaimed writer and editor at the New Yorker when he decided to leave for a most unlikely destination: the kitchen at Babbo, one of New York City's most popular and revolutionary Italian restaurants.
Finally realizing a long-held desire to learn first-hand the experience of restaurant cooking, Buford soon finds himself drowning in improperly cubed carrots and scalding pasta water on his quest to learn the tricks of the trade. His love of Italian food then propels him further afield: to Italy, to discover the secrets of pasta-making and, finally, how to properly slaughter a pig. Throughout, Buford stunningly details the complex aspects of Italian cooking and its long history, creating an engrossing and visceral narrative stuffed with insight and humor. The result is a hilarious, self-deprecating, and fantasically entertaining journey into the heart of the Italian kitchen.
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What can you read after
Heat?
About the Author:
Bill Buford is a Staff Writer and European Correspondent for The New Yorker. He was the Fiction Editor of the magazine for eight years, from April 1995 to December 2002. Before that he edited Granta magazine for sixteen years and, in 1989, became the publisher of Granta Books. He has edited three anthologies: The Best of Granta Travel, The Best of Granta Reportage, and The Granta Book of the Family. Bill is also the author of Among the Thugs (Norton, 1992), a highly personal nonfiction account of crowd violence and British soccer hooliganism. For The New Yorker, he has written about sweatshops, the singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, and chef Mario Batali. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1954, Bill Buford grew up in California and was educated at the University of California at Berkeley and at Kings College, Cambridge, where he was awarded a Marshall Scholarship for his work on Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. He lives in New York City with his wife, Jessica Green, and their two sons.
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