Heat

slow.

2.5. Read this before Dirt, unlike me.

Parts of this book are cringe worthy given the recent Batali sexual harassment scandals but with an anthropologist's safe harbor Buford does document what he sees and perhaps this book ended up, in some small way, serving as an informal indictment of Batali and that bad chef boy behavior. To be fair, that behavior is not Batali's alone and Buford documents the same culture patterns in nearly all of the kitchens that he works in including in his later book on France.

I dined at Otto a few times a month for many years and I did enjoy the food and the scene but what I remember the most was the warmth and professionalism of the staff in the front of the house. Well that and the constant flowing free wine which may have also clouded my perspective. On reflection, it's disappointing that a highly regarded team under Joe B. could have allowed this type of culture to prevail in any of their restaurants. It makes me wish upon them those creeping, stultifying corporate culture norms that I endured for years and which finally abolished many of these outrageous behaviors from most corporate US work environments. I seriously doubt the food would suffer.

A final comment, in 2020 the book now reads like the Trump Woodward tapes. What was Batali thinking? Did he get an advance copy before publishing? I guess the lure of being documented by an established writer for years on end was too enticing and there he ends up, alone in Michigan, hoisted up by his haunches and fastened tight by his own ego. This story is a tragedy in 4 acts and only the first 3 are documented in this book. If you do read Heat follow it up by reading the recent news articles.

Pretty much has everything I love - a great writer (Among the Thugs is must reading) and I loved Granta, Italian food, Dante. I read this on the heals of Kitchen confidential and both are eye openers on life in a commercial kitchen.