I have read a lot of foodie books recently: Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything, Alan Richman's Fork it Over (both dated but highly enjoyable) and, most recently, Jonathan Dixon's Beaten, Seared and Sauced. On one hand, Dixon's memoir falls into the overdone genre of kitchen war stories, tales chronicling the long hours, grueling work and heinous bosses that make up life in a professional kitchen. On the other, his account of training at the Culinary Institute of America reads like a humourous and engaging odyssey and provides a unique perspective on a revered institution.
Dixon creates a likable persona and the reader sympathizes with his struggles to evenly dice onions, pass a wine course with a 30% failure rate and survive a dismal externship. I rooted for Dixon as I read and also appreciated his fast-paced writing packed with practical information. Without long winded explanations or recipes, the book describes how to filet fish, prepare classic French sauces and roast the perfect chicken. Above all, Dixon conveys a boundless passion for cooking and proves that "Every gesture, no matter how small, [is] about the individual attempting to be great."
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