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The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen
Americans are on a roll in the kitchen—we've never been better or smarter about cooking. But how does a beginning cook become good, a good cook great?
Modeled on Strunk and White's The Elements of Style , The Elements of Cooking is an opinionated volume by Michael Ruhlman—the award-winning and bestselling author of The Making of a Chef and coauthor of The French Laundry Cookbook —that pares the essentials of good cooking into a slim, easy-to-take-anywhere book. It will also stand alongside a handful of classics of the kitchen, just as Strunk and White's book sits on the desk of every writer and every English student.
Not only does this book deconstruct the essential knowledge of the kitchen, it also takes what every professional chef knows instinctively after years of training and experience and offers it up cleanly and brilliantly to the home cook.
With hundreds of entries from acid to zester, here is all the information—no more and no less—you need to cook, as well as countless tips (including only one recipe in the entire book, for the “magic elixir of the kitchen”) and no-nonsense advice on how to be a great cook. You'll learn to cook everything, as the entries cover all the key moves you need to make in the kitchen and teach you, for example, not only what goes into a great sauce but how to think about it to make it great.
Eight short, beautifully written essays outline what it takes not merely to cook but to cook understanding heat, using the right tools (there are only five of them), cooking with eggs, making stock, making sauce, salting food, what a cook should read, and exploring the elusive, most important skill to have in the kitchen, finesse.
Modeled on Strunk and White's The Elements of Style , The Elements of Cooking is an opinionated volume by Michael Ruhlman—the award-winning and bestselling author of The Making of a Chef and coauthor of The French Laundry Cookbook —that pares the essentials of good cooking into a slim, easy-to-take-anywhere book. It will also stand alongside a handful of classics of the kitchen, just as Strunk and White's book sits on the desk of every writer and every English student.
Not only does this book deconstruct the essential knowledge of the kitchen, it also takes what every professional chef knows instinctively after years of training and experience and offers it up cleanly and brilliantly to the home cook.
With hundreds of entries from acid to zester, here is all the information—no more and no less—you need to cook, as well as countless tips (including only one recipe in the entire book, for the “magic elixir of the kitchen”) and no-nonsense advice on how to be a great cook. You'll learn to cook everything, as the entries cover all the key moves you need to make in the kitchen and teach you, for example, not only what goes into a great sauce but how to think about it to make it great.
Eight short, beautifully written essays outline what it takes not merely to cook but to cook understanding heat, using the right tools (there are only five of them), cooking with eggs, making stock, making sauce, salting food, what a cook should read, and exploring the elusive, most important skill to have in the kitchen, finesse.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2007
150 people are currently reading
2118 people want to read
About the author
Michael Ruhlman
42 books354 followersMichael Ruhlman (born 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American writer. He is the author of 11 books, and is best known for his work about and in collaboration with American chefs, as well as other works of non-fiction.
Ruhlman grew up in Cleveland and was educated at University School (a private boys' day school in Cleveland) and at Duke University, graduating from the latter in 1985. He worked a series of odd jobs (including briefly at the New York Times) and traveled before returning to his hometown in 1991 to work for a local magazine.
While working at the magazine, Ruhlman wrote an article about his old high school and its new headmaster, which he expanded into his first book, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education (1996).
For his second book, The Making of a Chef (1997), Ruhlman enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, completing the course, to produce a first-person account -- of the techniques, personalities, and mindsets -- of culinary education at the prestigious chef's school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, The Soul of a Chef (2000) and The Reach of a Chef (2006).
Ruhlman grew up in Cleveland and was educated at University School (a private boys' day school in Cleveland) and at Duke University, graduating from the latter in 1985. He worked a series of odd jobs (including briefly at the New York Times) and traveled before returning to his hometown in 1991 to work for a local magazine.
While working at the magazine, Ruhlman wrote an article about his old high school and its new headmaster, which he expanded into his first book, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education (1996).
For his second book, The Making of a Chef (1997), Ruhlman enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, completing the course, to produce a first-person account -- of the techniques, personalities, and mindsets -- of culinary education at the prestigious chef's school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, The Soul of a Chef (2000) and The Reach of a Chef (2006).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
December 29, 2014
I'm somewhat conflicted by this book. The opening essays are okay, but not great. Outside of the essays, the book is sort of a lazy man's french cuisine encyclopedia. The research for the book really isn't that thorough. In fact, about 95% comes from one of the two sources, both of which just so happen to be textbooks from the CIA when he attended. The book really only has one recipe, which was almost just copied from the Professional Chef cookbook.
The encyclopedia entries are just not that informative either. Wikipedia articles offer similar if not better information It could be a nifty reference book for the home cook looking to expand their repertoire, but serious cooks should just get a copy of On Food and Cooking, as well as Larousse Gastronomique.
The encyclopedia entries are just not that informative either. Wikipedia articles offer similar if not better information It could be a nifty reference book for the home cook looking to expand their repertoire, but serious cooks should just get a copy of On Food and Cooking, as well as Larousse Gastronomique.
February 23, 2011
I've always aspired to cook without a recipe, and this book gives me the tools and principles for doing just that. I plan to keep this book handy in my kitchen as a reference guide. Modeled after Strunk and White's Elements of Style, this book has the same structure - essays on important aspects of cooking that are the building blocks of any recipe (stocks, proper salting, temperature), followed by an alphabetical definition of cooking terms and ingredients. Want to know what a mandoline is? Want to know what the proper ratio is for any vinaigrette? You can find it in this section.
This book is very readable, and it has changed how I think about cooking. I highly recommend it for anybody interested in cooking from scratch.
My only criticism of the book is that it's cooking aesthetic is a little too fancy. It insists that I mist make veal stock, but for various reasons that's just not practical. But that is one of the book's strengths. It operates under the philosophy that we can all be great cooks.
This book is very readable, and it has changed how I think about cooking. I highly recommend it for anybody interested in cooking from scratch.
My only criticism of the book is that it's cooking aesthetic is a little too fancy. It insists that I mist make veal stock, but for various reasons that's just not practical. But that is one of the book's strengths. It operates under the philosophy that we can all be great cooks.
February 16, 2012
Whatever chops you thought you had in the kitchen, this guy makes you feel like a jackass. Modeled on the Elements of Style by Strunk and White, Michael Ruhlman gives a very idiosyncratic and opinionated take on the fundamentals of cooking, in eight essays, which are both intimidating and illuminating. Through them, he gets to the heart of what elevates cooking to an art. The essay on stock is a little scary, particularly when he holds forth on the virtues of veal stock. But he also shares very helpful and specific techniques, such as how to properly salt boiling water for pasta. It should taste like seasoned soup, which I have since used to great success. The net effect is to raise the bar on cooking. Will I start roasting veal bones to make stock from scratch? Not likely, it is a bit beyond my means as a home cook with a screaming baby, but I will definitely think twice before reaching for the Better Than Bouillon. The essays are followed by a glossary of terms, which is useful for clarifying French terms.
April 22, 2013
"ELements" is not a "cookbook" but you'll learn far more about cooking from "Elements" than you will from 99% of the cookbooks available. It's not a "science" book but you'll learn more science than you ever did in 9th grade Bio (Food science & chemistry, mostly). Plus, Ruhlman's skill as a writer is equal to his skills in the kitchen. As Bourdain says in his Intro, this is one of the books every cook/chef should own. No recipes, just everything you need to know about everything in the kitchen.
February 12, 2022
An excellent reference book for the kitchen. Contains no recipes, but rather distills the essentials of cooking into an easily digestible format.
February 2, 2016
This book is an inspiration. There are no recipes. In Anthony Bourdain’s introduction, he says “It’s useful these days when everyone, it seems, has an opinion about food, to know what the hell you’re talking about . . . It’s all here. In much the same way as Strunk and White’s classic, The Elements of Style, became an essential reference text on every writer and journalist’s desk, The Elements of Cooking should sit atop every refrigerator.” Ruhlman dives right in with “Notes on Cooking: From Stock to Finesse” and gives us an entire chapter on stock. You need the foundation of a good stock and nothing is better than your own stock that you always have on hand so you can create beautiful food. For stock you need good fresh ingredients (meaty bones that have been roasted) and very low heat (below a simmer). Use some herbs, carrots, and onions for flavor. The best and most versatile stock is veal, which I will never make, but Ruhlman reflects on it and even includes a recipe for a good veal stock. If I owned my own restaurant or cooked nightly for lots of people, I might have my own stock because I like the idea of starting with the basics. But my world is not like that. Ruhlman's is, and I love that he keeps the fine art of cooking well alive.
July 22, 2010
This cheerless book emulates The Elements of Style by offering definitions of some foundational techniques and ingredients that all cooks should know, according to the author. There's only one recipe, for veal stock: Ruhlman says much home cooking could be improved by the addition of veal stock. I'll take his word on that.
As for the techniques and definitions, I didn't find myself learning much that I didn't already know. For example, the "flavor" definition starts "arguably the most important element of a dish." I think it's really not an argument, first, and second, no duh. What I did learn seemed fairly trivial -- now I know what "hotel butter" is, but to what purpose?
Ruhlman's bibliography does make me want to check out some of his other sources, though, like "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen," by Harold McGee.
As for the techniques and definitions, I didn't find myself learning much that I didn't already know. For example, the "flavor" definition starts "arguably the most important element of a dish." I think it's really not an argument, first, and second, no duh. What I did learn seemed fairly trivial -- now I know what "hotel butter" is, but to what purpose?
Ruhlman's bibliography does make me want to check out some of his other sources, though, like "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen," by Harold McGee.
May 14, 2012
This is an excellent book. It is more a reference book than a cookbook. Don't buy this if you are looking for recipes. Buy this if you want basics of making stocks and sauces. Those parts of the book make this worth the cost. He then moves to basics like salt and eggs. Then he covers heat and tools. After these basics the book becomes a reference of food terms and food. Ruhlman is thorough to the point of being anal. But, in this instance you want someone who is thoroughly anal. Tony Bourdain, Ruhlman's wrote the info. If you saw the two of them together on "No Reservations" you know they are an "odd couple" ... Michael is definitely Felix and Tony is Oscar. And, yes, Ruhlman is the kind of guy you want to walk up to and muss his hair or wipe tomato sauce on his sleeve. Still, the man can write (and cook).
February 3, 2014
- Loved the introduction (Anthony Bourdain) and the Notes on Cooking section, especially the explainer on how the most important skills in cooking are knowing how to properly salt food, and knowing how to properly use heat.
- There's a special section on the egg, which makes sense because it's included in dishes that fall on so many points of the heat spectrum... Ruhlman explains somewhere that a chef who has excellent command of the egg will have excellent command of everything else.
- Well-written prose. Thank you for writing intelligently and elegantly, writing beautifully about high skill without being condescending.
- Pays homage to existing resources in high-level cooking. Introduction and Notes sections are worth reading all the way through and the rest is a glossary format. I'll be skipping around when I need something.
- There's a special section on the egg, which makes sense because it's included in dishes that fall on so many points of the heat spectrum... Ruhlman explains somewhere that a chef who has excellent command of the egg will have excellent command of everything else.
- Well-written prose. Thank you for writing intelligently and elegantly, writing beautifully about high skill without being condescending.
- Pays homage to existing resources in high-level cooking. Introduction and Notes sections are worth reading all the way through and the rest is a glossary format. I'll be skipping around when I need something.
January 2, 2008
An "Elements of Style"-inspired take on the world of cooking by Michael Ruhlman, Elements of Cooking provides both wannabe and professional cooks with 8 short essays on what he views to be the most important ingredients/tools/concepts separating good cooking from great cooking. Ruhlman also includes a glossary of food terms that is actually interesting to read on its own. Following the "...of a Chef" trilogy and some very nice cookbooks, I have wondered where Ruhlman's muse was going to take him next. Elements of Cooking is destined to be a classic, both for the home cook and the professional chef, and bodes well for the future output of a man who has already established himself as one of the greatest writers on cooking around.
January 10, 2008
Aimed more at the home cook or the kitchen neophyte, this book does contain some nuggets for kitchen pros. The essays at the beginning, although not containing a ton of new information for me, were engaging and thoughtful. I've always liked Ruhlman's prose style, and this is just more of that. Following the essays is a small encyclopedia/index of restaurant and culinary terms. Although not as exhaustive as The New Food Lover's Companion, it still covered the basics. Overall, if you know someone who is an amateur enthusiast or a culinary school wannabe, this is a good book to get them started.
March 9, 2011
This book has a few essays at the beginning and then the rest is like a dictionary of cooking terms. I actually read through the entire thing and learned a lot about cooking. Some of it, I've already put into practice. For example, I'm trying to be diligent about salting food as I go rather than just assuming that I can add the salt at the end. I did this with one of our favorite rice dishes on Friday, and salting early in the cooking process made a remarkable difference in how good the food tasted. Ruhlman calls it the difference between tasting seasoned and tasting salty and I agree. Chris - I starting reading this book in your bathroom two summer s ago. Thanks for the recommendation - I'm glad I finally finished it!
July 21, 2012
Michael Ruhlman knows a lot about a lot; he has written a number of successful books sharing his culinary knowledge and experiences. In a deliberate attempt to duplicate what Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" does for writers, Ruhlman wrote "The Elements of Cooking" in the same style for cooks. The book is more than a dictionary but less than an encyclopedia of cooking. The first fifty pages contain highly opinionated essays about various topics such as veal stock, salt and the proper kitchen tools. The remainder is an alphabetic series of blurbs about tools, ingredients, processes and dishes. While one will not likely agree with everything Ruhlman has to say, there is great benefit in reading this book start-to-finish to learn or review kitchen basics.
April 6, 2015
This book contains a few essays on various cooking topics, such as the importance of veal stock and the most important tools the home cook should own, before it becomes a reference book, with alphabetical entries on everything related to cooking.
Despite finding the essays interesting, the rest of the work is not complete enough to recommend this as a "kitchen bible" reference book. The entries are enough to explain a term or ingredient, but in the time of Google, is it enough?
It isn't for me and unless you are a beginner cook with no idea of the difference between a chinois and a tamis, this isn't the book for you, either. Still, 3 stars, a lot of research went into this, but it is simply not comprehensive enough to justify the shelf space.
Despite finding the essays interesting, the rest of the work is not complete enough to recommend this as a "kitchen bible" reference book. The entries are enough to explain a term or ingredient, but in the time of Google, is it enough?
It isn't for me and unless you are a beginner cook with no idea of the difference between a chinois and a tamis, this isn't the book for you, either. Still, 3 stars, a lot of research went into this, but it is simply not comprehensive enough to justify the shelf space.
July 27, 2013
The book discussed basics of cooking, from the ingredients to the techniques. For the culinary enthusiast and the culinary students, it's a recommended read. The most important part of the book are the essays. Michael Ruhlman discusses things that the ordinary person doesn't consider important to home cooking. Things like heat, tools of the trade, stocks, and even sauces are the foundation of cooking. Without these concepts to focus on, it won't be as easy as grasping what you really want from your cooking. It's hard for people to understand why should you bother reading everything in the book from cover to cover but if you are quite the enthusiast, then it's not for naught.
November 8, 2007
More than anything I was unconvinced by the casual style of this book. This might be partially due to subject matter. The beauty of the Elements of Style is that the authors use the book as an example of exactly what they are talking about. "Finesse," one of the main themes of The Elements of Cooking, can't really be given concrete example in written form.
One thing the book did do: it reminded me that I want to got to French Laundry. The date I can call for reservations is now marked on my calendar!
One thing the book did do: it reminded me that I want to got to French Laundry. The date I can call for reservations is now marked on my calendar!
Currently reading
January 28, 2008Was a gift from a friend who got it for me because of the similarity to The Elements of Style. Interesting in a theoretical way. He takes it all (including himself) a *lot* more seriously than I do (or ever will). I can imagine being seriously interested at this level if you are a professional cook/chef/wannabe, or even having to cook three meals a day for a finicky family for the rest of time. As it is, I find it vaguely amusing for the same reason that Vogue magazine might be: as sociological data points.
December 7, 2009
I was disappointed a bit by this book. I guess I didn't investigate it very thoroughly before ordering it, because it was considerably shorter than I'd expected and was geared more towards the serious gastronome... I suppose I'd have known that if I was already a Ruhlman fan, as I know many are.
However, for me, there was far too much detail about doing complex things with meat and lard, etc. Hardly a replacement for broad, basic cookbook tutorials like those I've relied on in The Joy of Cooking.
However, for me, there was far too much detail about doing complex things with meat and lard, etc. Hardly a replacement for broad, basic cookbook tutorials like those I've relied on in The Joy of Cooking.
November 29, 2010
The Elements of Cooking is an interesting almost-narrative glossary of most things you'd need to know to understand what a cook is talking about. I learned the definitions of lots of terms that you see on fancy menus (or hear thrown about on Top Chef or on food blogs), what beurre blanc and beurre rouge are and how to make them, and also how to make stock. We made a great deal of that using the Thanksgiving turkey, which was spectacular. I'd highly recommend this book for the non-cook, the cook, and he experienced, snooty cook.
September 5, 2013
Although Ruhlman is a renowned cooking and food journalist this book is not worth buying: I say buying because that was his intention when he structured it as a reference book.
The only section that is worth the money was the first 50 pages where he does a good job of highlighting the essentials of cooking. Here he goes over the basics of heat, seasoning, eggs, ... etc.
So in short, if you are a beginner in the world of cooking, the first 50 pages are worth borrowing the book from your local library. Otherwise, get the classical 'on food and cooking' if you are after a cooking reference book.
The only section that is worth the money was the first 50 pages where he does a good job of highlighting the essentials of cooking. Here he goes over the basics of heat, seasoning, eggs, ... etc.
So in short, if you are a beginner in the world of cooking, the first 50 pages are worth borrowing the book from your local library. Otherwise, get the classical 'on food and cooking' if you are after a cooking reference book.
July 1, 2008
I read the intro part to this book which was decent. Half the book is a glossary of cooking terms, so I suppose its more of a reference type book...which is not what I was expecting. I highly recommend the other books he's written, they are all interesting looks into the life of a chef. This one is really only good if you are needing to understand terms in a cookbook that you may not understand.
May 25, 2008
Well, I'm not sure why Ruhlman bothered to write this book, to be honest, since most of the useful information is taken directly from the books he was influenced by. At least he cites them. I think you'd be better served to go out and buy Escoffier, McGee, and the Zuni Cafe Cookbook (the three he references constantly). Those are the books I'll buy for my kitchen reference collection. Besides.. how could he leave out "in the weeds?"
December 13, 2017
Great info, bland read.
Readers who loved the delicious previous writing of the author will be disappointed by the bland, robotic style of this book. It is more a list of reminders, equipment and utensils than a book with passion on the culinary arts. It contains invaluable information the reader may obtain at the price of plodding through an entire volume of knee deep lax writing from an author proven capable of far better literary flair.
Readers who loved the delicious previous writing of the author will be disappointed by the bland, robotic style of this book. It is more a list of reminders, equipment and utensils than a book with passion on the culinary arts. It contains invaluable information the reader may obtain at the price of plodding through an entire volume of knee deep lax writing from an author proven capable of far better literary flair.
November 28, 2007
I've become a big fan of Michael Ruhlman's writing (mostly through his blog), so this seemed like a no-brainer to pick up. At first, the glossary format didn't appeal to me, but the more I read, the more I learned. And the essays that comprise the first 1/4 of the book are compelling reading for anyone who has an interest in the craft of cooking (and cooking well).
December 17, 2007
Ruhlman's passionate about food, friendly to the novice, and writes with a nice rhythm. I read all the essays at the beginning of the book (veal stock! heat! salt! finesse!) and plan to dip in to the definitions as needed. This strikes me as a lovely -- and literary -- kitchen resource, very "Elements of Style"-ish. I like to think E. B. White would approve.
December 30, 2007
I picked this up after seeing it on the stack of "new" books at the library. I had read this author's book about his time at the Culinary Institute of America so it caught my eye. I really liked the first 50 pages but was disappointed when it turned into a dictionary of food terms. Not exactly read cover to cover material.
January 6, 2008
I suspect this book isn't necessarily meant to be read cover to cover--it's a kind of encyclopedia of cooking terms that can help you decipher any menu or recipe--but I read it anyway, because Michael Ruhlman is such a good writer. AND he makes me want to be a better cook, without being condescending at all.
February 20, 2008
The essays that begin this book are outstanding. A must-read for anyone who's serious about cooking, and gets a kick out of someone waxing rhapsodic about veal stock. The latter section of the book is a glossary of terms and so not really something to read straight through, but interesting to browse through.
January 3, 2010
This book is a more straightforward, almost scientific way to look at cooking and the elements that make up the recipes we like. I found it to be really interesting, even if I won't use much of that knowledge.*
*I had to change my review because, after having read it, I found myself thinking. A LOT. Now I am finding that I need my own copy to reference in the future.
*I had to change my review because, after having read it, I found myself thinking. A LOT. Now I am finding that I need my own copy to reference in the future.
February 11, 2011
If you like to cook or want to know more about cooking read this book. The book is filled with knowledge and explainations of just about everything in a kitchen. It breaks the information down into what you need to know to accomplish the task in the kitchen. I have a culinary degree from Le Cordon Blue and I think this should be required reading for Basic Kitchen Skills.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews