Past Speakers: Michael Ruhlman
Michael Ruhlman was born in 1963. He grew up in Ohio and graduated from the University School in Cleveland in 1981. He is a chef himself and has written a number of books dealing with food and cooking. A writer of nonfiction books, he also focuses on the search for perfection in a number of different fields and crafts.
For his first book Ruhlman revisited the private school he attended in his youth, University School. Published in 1996, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education, spends a year at the all-boys prep school in Cleveland and looks at the pros and cons of single-sex education. Ruhlman was given complete access to the school, where he attended classes and talked with teachers and students. The book, though generally in favor of single-sex education, does not necessarily depict University School as the perfect example of education. Though a fine institution, the school faces its own unique problems and dramas, which are chronicled throughout the book. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly observed that "The commitment of the school's innovative teachers shines through in this candid look at a rare institution." Beth Gutcheon in the New York Times felt that while Ruhlman never decides if this form of education is best, stated: "A book as well written, convincingly reported and readable . . . doesn't also have to provide definitive answers." Terry A. Christener wrote in Library Journal that "Ruhlman writes well, and his text is easily read and understood." A contributor for Kirkus Reviews called the book an "Affectionate and well-drawn portrait"; while Boys Themselves does not focus enough on the college admissions process, an extremely important program at most prep-schools, the critic added that "Few works of nonfiction have captured so much of the spirit of the prep school experience."
For his next book Ruhlman focused on another subject of personal importance: cooking. For The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America. Ruhlman attended the renowned Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at their campus in upstate New York. There for six months, he attended classes as a real student would, and learned how to make the perfect stock while profiling students confronting the challenges of becoming a top chef in the high-pressure world of cooking. Ruhlman's own interest in food dates back to his uncle's description of a perfectly prepared potato once sampled while in New Orleans. This elusive culinary perfection is what drives Ruhlman's passion for food.
A contributor for Kirkus Reviews observed of The Making of a Chef that, "While his insights into teachers and students are often interesting, the book has little to say about the art of cooking and even less to say about how it all tastes." Peter Kaminsky commented in the New York Times that "Any reader who has ever wondered what it's like to be at the center of the cooking maelstrom of a fine restaurant will feel as hurried, harried, sweaty and ultimately as satisfied as a line cook at the end of a long shift with no complaints from the customers." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly called Ruhlman "an accomplished writer, and his material is fresh," while Wendy Miller from Library Journal found the book to be "an enjoyable read," and stated that "After reading this title, boot camp and law school will seem like child's play."
Ruhlman published The French Laundry Cookbook in collaboration with Thomas Keller, and photographers Susie Heller and Deborah Jones. Here he charts the career of renowned chef Thomas Keller at The French Laundry restaurant in California, who is considered one of the greatest chefs in the country. The cookbook gives detailed instructions and descriptions of some of Keller's most original and delectable dishes. Included are a number of photographs showing finished dishes as well as preparations. Ruhlman won three awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals for his work on this book. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted that, "With few exceptions . . . recipes are haute, labor-intensive preparations." Wendy Miller in Library Journal wrote: "Epitomizing a love of ingredients . . . and an almost magical approach to food, this is required for any real 'cookbook' collection," and that to call it merely a cookbook "would be to trivialize its content and impact."
In The Soul of the Chef: The Journey toward Perfection Ruhlman examines three different chefs and their pursuit of perfect cuisine. He looks at Brian Polcyn of the Five Lakes Grill in Milford, Michigan, and Polcyn's second attempt to pass the Certified Master Chef exam given at the CIA. This is a grueling ten-day exam which many chefs consider rigid and obscure. The next section focuses on Michael Symon of Cleveland's Lola Bistro and Wine Bar. Ruhlman focuses on both Symon's daily rituals as a chef and the preparation and awaited arrival of a well-known food writer. The last section deals with Thomas Keller, with whom Ruhlman wrote his previous book. Ruhlman confirms some rumors about the renowned chef and gives insight into his search for perfection.
A reviewer for Publishers Weekly found that The Soul of the Chef dwells too much on Ruhlman's past works, stating, "Overall this book makes a fine introduction to Ruhlman's writing, but readers of his previous books will be disappointed to find the chef reheating leftovers." Tom Cooper in Library Journal commended the author: "Each section of the book is fascinating in itself," he wrote, but stated, "Less than the sum of its part, the book will eventually test anyone's patience for reading page after page of menus and description of nouvelle cuisine creations." A reviewer for Restaurant Hospitality called The Soul of the Chef a "terrifically written book" that demonstrates that "Perfection is perpetually elusive and you have to put in long hours on your feet in a hot kitchen every single day just to come close. The best part is, you can come close." Anthony Bourdain stated in his review for the New York Times that Ruhlman "succeeds--by turning his investigation into an adventure story, a hold-your-breath-while-you-turn-the-page thriller that's also an anthropological study of the culture of cooking."
Ruhlman departed from his previous topics for his next book, Wooden Boats: In Pursuit of the Perfect Craft at an American Boatyard. Though still dealing with issues of perfection, this book focused on the nearly extinct craft of wooden boat building. This topic was first suggested by Ruhlman's publisher, Michael Naumann, a wooden boat owner himself. Ruhlman had no previous interest in boats, and did not even recognize the distinction of wooden vessels. After hearing Naumann talk for thirty minutes on the topic Ruhlman was riveted and began preparations for the book. Wooden Boats looks at master boat builders Nat Benjamin and Ross Gannon, who have a boatyard on Martha's Vineyard. Ruhlman worked beside them and was intrigued with not only the amount of skill and attention to detail required to build wooden ships, but also the class issues that ensue when blue-collar artisans spend months working on boats for the ultra-wealthy. He explained in an interview on Ruhlman.com, "The wooden boat was a metaphor for all things that matter in our cheap disposable culture." A contributor for Kirkus Reviews found that Ruhlman's "promising story of attending the construction of two sublime wooden boats falls short in so many areas that it feels woefully out of plumb." Charles Preston in the Wall Street Journal praised Wooden Boats,noting that "Ruhlman consistently comes through with touching lyricism." A Publishers Weekly contributor stated that "His ability to simply tell the boat-builders' story, making connections between boats and life, gives this sharply observed book its pleasures." Alan Prince, in his review for Book Page, noted that the book "is as finely crafted and appealing as the vessels it describes."
With the help of Eric Ripert, Ruhlman returned to his topic of cooking with the appropriately titled A Return to Cooking: The Chef, the Cook, and the Artist. Featuring illustrations by photographers Shimon and Tammar Rothstein and Colombian painter Valentino Cortazar, the book chronicles Eric Ripert, chef at the four-star restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City, and his attempt to get out of the confines of his kitchen and experiment with cuisine in different regions. Together the troupe travel to Sag Harbour, New York, Puerto Rico, Napa Valley, California, and Cavendish, Vermont. Devon Thomas in Library Journal called A Return to Cooking a "handsome, over-sized work . . . it is also a meditation on what cooking means and its relationship to art." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly wrote, "This is a practical and rare look into what happens when a chef comes out of the industrial-sized kitchen and into the fire of his creativity."
In 2003 Ruhlman focused on the world of pediatric heart surgery in Walk on Water: Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit. Ruhlman was allowed access into the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio where he chronicled Dr. Roger Mee, considered to be one of the best pediatric heart surgeons in the world. Again Ruhlman is concerned with ideas of perfection because, for pediatric surgeons, precision is crucial, considering the age and weight of their patients, not to mention the pressure of operating on infants. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews called the book "a window into an unfamiliar world where excellence is difficult to achieve yet absolutely essential," but found that "the narrative gets bogged down and the action blurred by overuse of medical terminology." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly wrote that, "Although the medical terminology can slow the reader down at times, most will tear through this engaging and often wrenching account." James Swanton in Library Journal remarked, "Ruhlman's immersion in and close observations of one of the world's best heart centers will be essential reading for those who find themselves confronted by the complexities of congenital heart disease."