Sous Chef

24 Hours on the Line

By: Michael Gibney

Narrated by: Fred Berman

NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME

The back must slave to feed the belly. . . . In this urgent and unique book, chef Michael Gibney uses twenty-four hours to animate the intricate camaraderie and culinary choreography in an upscale New York restaurant kitchen. Here readers will find all the details, in rapid-fire succession, of what it takes to deliver an exceptional plate of food—the journey to excellence by way of exhaustion.

Told in second-person narrative, Sous Chef is an immersive, adrenaline-fueled run that offers a fly-on-the-wall perspective on the food service industry, allowing readers to briefly inhabit the hidden world behind the kitchen doors, in real time. This exhilarating account provides regular diners and food enthusiasts alike a detailed insider’s perspective, while offering fledgling professional cooks an honest picture of what the future holds, ultimately giving voice to the hard work and dedication around which chefs have built their careers.

In a kitchen where the highest standards are upheld and one misstep can result in disaster, Sous Chef conjures a greater appreciation for the thought, care, and focus that go into creating memorable and delicious fare. With grit, wit, and remarkable prose, Michael Gibney renders a beautiful and raw account of this demanding and sometimes overlooked profession, offering a nuanced perspective on the craft and art of food and service.

Includes a bonus PDF with a glossary and supplemental graphics


Praise for Sous Chef

“This is excellent writing—excellent!—and it is thrilling to see a debut author who has language and story and craft so well in hand. Though I would never ask my staff to read my own book, I would happily require them to read Michael Gibney’s.”—Gabrielle Hamilton

“[Michael] Gibney has the soul of a poet and the stamina of a stevedore. . . . Tender and profane, his book will leave you with a permanent appreciation for all those people who ‘desire to feed, to nourish, to dish out the tasty bits of life.’”—The New York Times Book Review

“A terrific nuts-and-bolts account of the real business of cooking as told from the trenches. No nonsense. This is what it takes.”—Anthony Bourdain

“A wild ride, not unlike a roller coaster, and the reader experiences all the drama, tension, exhilaration, exhaustion and relief that accompany cooking in an upscale Manhattan restaurant.”—USA Today

“Vibrantly written.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Sizzling . . . Such culinary experience paired with linguistic panache is a rarity.”—The Daily Beast

“Reveals the high-adrenaline dance behind your dinner.”—NPR

Very fun listen

I love Michaels detail and use of a second person perspective. Certainly a unique book. I have been a chef for over two decades and a cook for almost three and so much of this reaches right in to my soul. I highly suggest this to anyone looking to see what the world looks like from the outside or for any insider that wishes to have an out of body experience haha. Fred Berman gives a lot of personality to the characters. I am going to look in to more books narrated by him.

Awesome Peek Into The Work and Life of a Sous Chef

Well written, engaging journey through a typical day for a Sous Chef. Has the feel of a memoir while purporting to be fictional. Great for anyone interested in the working world of restaurants.

This is the blood and guts of the industry.

As a chef it's a warm comfort to read what happens in the industry a

Really well written and narrated.

I really enjoyed this story. Based on the wonderful descriptions moment by moment, I felt like I was standing next to the characters. If you are interested in what happens decide your plate hits your table, get this book. The characters are superbly described and play off each other with out missing a beat. Loved this book!

Only as good as your last plate.

Written in the risky second person style, you, the reader, are the sous chef, arriving for a new day's work at 8.00am on what will be a busy Friday service. The checking of new food deliveries, the freshness of everything from fish (wonderful hints on storage) to meat, to any other produce, as well as personal equipment readiness and the cleanliness of each stage of the kitchen. Then greeting the kitchen team as they arrive, arranging who should prep what and generally prepare for the anticipated busy night ahead. Brief breaks for cigarettes and to meet the girlfriend as she makes her way to work, just calling in to say hello.
If the reader has any interest at all in how much work is involved prior to the first customer even setting foot inside the restaurant, not all of which goes smoothly, then this first section is interesting, tension growing as the witching hour of service allroaches. But it is the explosive rush of service itself which really reads more like an action thriller than a job of work. Each plate must be delivered fast and be more than good: it must be perfect, especially when one table has reporters from the Times. And to achieve perfection requires total commitment and precision from the whole team. With 300 anticipated diners just one person's failure risks disaster for the whole evening. There's anxiety, fear, anger, chaos, bad language and even one of the team throwing up into his waste bin. Finally, it's all over. Time to dress back into civies, speculate on the success or otherwise of the evening and life in general before heading to the bar with your colleagues. Home, a (very) few hours of rest before it's time to head back to the kitchen, late and slightly hung over, to start all over again.

I loved this book. Although a little slow at first, as the pace in the kitchen increased, so did the excitement and involvement. It is your kitchen, your job, your success or failure on the line. Some conversation is in Spanish, untranslated. There are terms used for some equipment, cooking terms or ingredients for which there is no time to explain the meaning - this is all covered in the really excellent extended glossary after the conclusion of the book - the pressure of the hours of service are tangible. And all of this is perfectly captured by Fred Berman, the narrator. He takes the text and runs with it following every nuance, despair, pride, aspiration, hope and sorrow. His pleasant mid tone voice picks up every nuance, his Spanish sounds impeccable. This is a masterful performance which greatly adds to the pleasure of the book.

Different in character to Bourdaine's masterful Kitchen Confidential, Gibney's Sous Chef is still a book I most heartily recommend to anyone either thinking of entering the profession, or, like me, simply fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes to produce fabulous food so quickly in a quality restaurant. It really does have that thriller quality.