Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is this a book about cooking, or a book about falling in love?

A. It's neither. This is really a book about identity, and how to get back on the path to toward life passion when you've gotten derailed. In part, it's about tying one's self-esteem too closely to a job or career, and then not knowing who you are when that job isn't arond anymore. My passion is cooking, but it could have been anything from tango dancing to playing the accordian.


Q. I've heard of it, but what is Le Cordon Bleu and why is it so famous?

A. Le Corodn Bleu is a cooking school that was started in Paris in 1895. The classes started as a sideline busines to a popular magazine of the time, Le Cuisiniere Cordon Bleu. ("The Cordon Bleu Cook"). The founder, Marthe Distel, and the subsequent owner to the school, Madame Brassart, both had strong ties to the culinary world and lured top chefs to teach at the school. The association of these notable chefs laid the foundation of the school's reputation as a school of strong education integrity. In the 1980s, Andre Cointreau bought the school and has since been on a mission to expand the school internally. At present, there are 27 schools in 15 countries.


Q. Why did you want to go there, and not the Culinary Institute of America?

A. Le Cordon Bleu is in Paris, and its foreign mystique had a stronger draw. Having said that, I think the CIA is an excellent school. I recommend The Making of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman to anyone interested in the school


Q. What was the most surprising thing about going to Cordon Bleu in Paris?

A. The school is much smaller than I expected. I thought it would be a much bigger operation overall. But there are only four kitchens, and the largest one used for cuisine can handle just 14 students. The popularity of the school means that it often feels cramped and sagging under the weight of too many studentIn terms of facilities, it has what it needs (most of the time). I recently went to a community college that was more adequately equipped with modern commercial ware than Cordon Bleu. This does make it quaint, and you learn to do everything by hand. Having said all that, I understand the Paris campus is planning renovations to expand.



Q. What was the hardest lesson at Le Cordon Bleu?

A. It wasn't one thing, biut rather getting into the disciplined habits needed for the kitchen. This included learning to clean as I went, and taste as I cooked.


Q. What was your favorite recipe?

A. I enjoyed the day we made cassoulet, a classic French dish made with white bean and pork casserole. It was a beautiful day, the class was busy and the cassoulet tasted marvelous. I have a recipe in my book for cassoulet that was loaned to me by the excellent chef Alex Mackay, who is well-known in the UK. My second favorite was a "tian" or stacked dish made with lamb.


Q. What was your least favorite?

A. We made a dish featuring hake poached in a court bouillion, or a vinegar-laced bath. Hake is an oily, saltwater fish sometimes substituted for cod that is exceptionally ugly and difficult to rid of scales. At school, the recipe paired this poached fish with Hollandaise sauce. The scales, the vinegar and the fight I had with a dishwasher just turned me off to the dish.l I gave it to a beggar on the street whom I used to call "The Smartest Homeless Man in the World" because he perched not far from the cooking school a couple times a week.


Q. Do you want to be a chef? Would you ever open your own restaurant?

A. No, I'm a writer. Being a chef is a very physical job, and one I am not sure I want to undertake in my late 30s. However, I do teach cooking and I do selective small scale catering events.


Q. Did the school know you were writing a book, or contemplating one?

A. No. I had vague notions about writing a book when I started, but did not sell the book proposal until just before I entered the final course of study (superior cuisine). I didn't want them to treat me any differently than other students. I waited until I was virtually done with the book to tell them about it, in case they tried to influence me in any way. I flew to Paris and walked the key people through the manuscript in late 2006, just before I turned it into the publisher.


Q. How did people at Le Cordon Bleu react to the book?

A. Everyone has been remarkably gracious. No one ever tried to influence the book, and in fact, lent me significant help in portraying the history of the school accurately. Even Andre Cointreau, the school's owner, has been amazingly accommodating. The notable thing was that they were helpful and giving of their time before any of them read it. I think it showed a lot of faith in their institution.