Recipe Weekend/ Book Review and Giveaway: Four Kitchens by Lauren Shockey

** this giveaway is closed **

With the advent of all the cooking shows on TV, we all start to wonder what it would like to be a chef. BUT like anything else, reality is not always as what it seems like on TV. Being a chef can be VERY long hours and a lot of hard work every day. So I was interested to read about Lauren's experiences in 4 countries! Synopsis: At the French Culinary Institute, Lauren Shockey learned to salt food properly, cook fearlessly over high heat, and knock back beers like a pro. But she also discovered that her real culinary education wouldn't begin until she actually worked in a restaurant. After a somewhat disappointing apprenticeship in the French provinces, Shockey hatched a plan for her dream year: to apprentice in four high-end restaurants around the world. She started in her hometown of New York City under the famed chef Wylie Dufresne at the molecular gastronomy hotspot wd-50, then traveled to Vietnam, Israel, and back to France. From the ribald kitchen humor to fiery-tempered workers to tasks ranging from the mundane (mincing numerous cases of shallots) to the extraordinary (cooking seafood on the line), Shockey shows us what really happens behind the scenes in haute cuisine, and includes original recipes integrating the techniques and flavors she learned along the way.  About the Author: Lauren Shockey is a food writer whose articles have appeared in many print and online publications including "The Village Voice," "The New York Times," "The Wall Street Journal," "Slate," and "The Atlantic Food Channel," among many others. A graduate of The University of Chicago, Lauren also holds a diploma in Classic Culinary Arts from The French Culinary Institute and a Master of Arts in food studies from New York University. Lauren was born, raised, and is currently living in New York City.  When she’s not cooking or eating or writing, she enjoys playing squash, completing crossword puzzles, and traveling. You can visit her website at www.laurenshockey.com. Review: In it's essence, this book is more about a young woman (Lauren) looking for her place in the world, when everything she has tried doesn't fit just right. She realizes she wants to be a chef, goes through FCI and then realizes she needs to stage to truly learn. As she says in the book, she came out of FCI and didn't really know how to hold a knife properly (check out her video to see HOW you should be holding it!) . She needed on the job training, as it were, and she received her true education in every one of her stages. Lauren was very lucky in that she had the savings to be able to take 4 unpaid internships, aka stages, around the world. Lauren thoughtfully includes recipes from the different restaurants, that she has adjusted to home cooking. Some of them do call for spices you might have to hunt for, but that's why we have online shopping too! The recipes are thorough and relatively simple. My only negative point was she talked about a tart recipe at a class she took, that involved a super simple crust, with chocolate salted caramel filling (yes, sigh and then come back), and she doesn't give you the recipe! It was a monetary ARGH moment, in what is a quick read (don't worry, I am going to hunt it down one way or the other and post it here!). Lauren provides plenty of interaction behind the scenes at the various restaurants, and gives you a very thorough behind the scenes look at the way food is prepared at the restaurants. It was interesting to see how as she matured through her different working stages, she herself matured, and the way she cooked changed and came into its own. In the world of chefs writing books nowadays, this one is enjoyable and as I said a quick read, with good recipes, so I recommend it! And FYI, Lauren has an online mini-class on how to write a culinary book, combining all her skills- you go girl! Here's my fav recipe from the book, and one that is perfect for Fall!  Lauren calls it "the autumnal flavors of pumpkin pie...transformed into a cake, which I serve with a simple maple-flavored whipped cream!".  Pumpkin Cake with Maple Whipped Cream Ingredients For the cake: 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the cake pan 1 cp dark brown sugar ½ cp granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 cp flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tspn kosher salt 1 tspn ground cinnamon 1 tspn ground ginger 1 cp milk 1 cp canned pumpkin puree For the maple whipped cream: 1 cp heavy cream Large pinch of salt 4 tbsp (grade B, if possible) maple syrup Directions 1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a cake pan with butter.   2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. 3. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. 4. Alternate adding the milk and the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, stirring after each addition.  Stir in the pumpkin. 5. Pour into the cake pan and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Set aside to cool. 6. Prepare the maple whipped cream by placing the heavy cream and salt in a mixing bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form.  Add the maple syrup and beat until firm. 7. Cut the cake into slices and serve with the maple whipped cream. ** ** Disclosure: I received this book, via PTA Reviewer Rewards, free of charge, for blog review purposes. I received no other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post.Nor was I told what to say about the book!