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Heat
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany | Bill Buford
14 posts | 21 read | 20 to read
From one of our most interesting literary figures former editor of Granta, former fiction editor at The New Yorker, acclaimed author of Among the Thugs a sharp, funny, exuberant, close-up account of his headlong plunge into the life of a professional cook. Expanding on his James Beard Award-winning New Yorker article, Bill Buford gives us a richly evocative chronicle of his experience as slave to Mario Batali in the kitchen of Batalis three-star New York restaurant, Babbo. In a fast-paced, candid narrative, Buford describes three frenetic years of trials and errors, disappointments and triumphs, as he worked his way up the Babbo ladder from kitchen bitch to line cook . . . his relationship with the larger-than-life Batali, whose story he learns as their friendship grows through (and sometimes despite) kitchen encounters and after-work all-nighters . . . and his immersion in the arts of butchery in Northern Italy, of preparing game in London, and making handmade pasta at an Italian hillside trattoria. Heat is a marvelous hybrid: a memoir of Bufords kitchen adventure, the story of Batalis amazing rise to culinary (and extra-culinary) fame, a dazzling behind-the-scenes look at a famous restaurant, and an illuminating exploration of why food matters. It is a book to delight in, and to savour. From the Hardcover edition.
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review
Rachel.Rencher
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Pickpick

This was such an interesting story! I've always been intrigued by chef life so I was really excited for this one. I do wish Buford wrote it more like a narrative and less like a news report because I think I would have sailed through this book a lot faster. Either way, great read. 👍

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Rachel.Rencher
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I've been dying to read this book ever since David Chang talked about it. Chefs and kitchens have always fascinated me, so I'm really excited to dive into this one on my long weekend. Thanks again to the generous @MicheleinPhilly 🤗💕

kspenmoll My husband requested this for Christmas & is reading it now. I hear bits and pieces that he shares with me. 3y
MicheleinPhilly Looking forward to your review! I‘m also fascinated by chefs and kitchens even though my own skills are...mediocre, at best. 3y
Nute I like reading about chefs and their kitchens as well. Stacking! 3y
JacqMac I read this years ago. I loved it. 3y
92 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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Rachel.Rencher
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Aw, @MicheleinPhilly ! You did not have to do this. I was hoping you'd send something with a return address so I could send a thank you. 💕 You're truly the sweetest. Thanks so much. 🤗

MicheleinPhilly No need. It was my pleasure! Since it is the winter of endless snow I figured I would make it easy on my lazy self. ☺️ 3y
Rachel.Rencher @MicheleinPhilly Appreciate you 💕💕 3y
70 likes2 comments
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Rachel.Rencher
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Okay, last update about Heat! I figured out what happened to it. We're pretty sure that whatever box was on top of mine had detergent inside that exploded because the pages are crusty, tinted orange, and smell like a fresh load of laundry. I'm also really allergic to scents, and flipping through this made my hand break out into hives. 😅

Thanks for all your tips, but it's officially unfixable. Do I throw it out? Recycle? That feels wrong!

Soubhiville If you tear the cover off you can recycle it. I know it seems blasphemous, but some books are unsaveable. 😢 3y
Lcsmcat I‘m sorry. But it‘s the words that matter, not the paper, so go ahead and recycle it. I hope you find another copy. 3y
Clare-Dragonfly Grosssss! I‘m not sure it‘s even recyclable. I would throw it out. You could check with whatever company or government entity handles your recycling to see if they‘ll take it, though. 3y
Rachel.Rencher @Lcsmcat The amazing & generous @MicheleinPhilly offered to send me another copy. 💕 You're right. It's gotta go! 3y
76 likes4 comments
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Rachel.Rencher
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I thought Lucas was trying to be cute when he put Heat in front of the fire this morning, but it turns out he's trying to save it for me. 😭 It came soaking wet in my Book Outlet box, but they have no more copies and he knows how excited I was to read this one so he's trying to make it readable.

Any tips? The pages are like glued together and just won't dry out.

Lcsmcat I‘ve never had to try it, but there‘s some advice here: https://www.wikihow.com/Dry-a-Wet-Book 3y
Hestapleton HAIR DRYER 3y
Rachel.Rencher @Lcsmcat Thank you! I just stuffed it full of paper towels and put it under a butcher block. Looks really silly, but hopefully it'll work. 😂 3y
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cariashley Oh no that‘s the worst. Interested in people‘s tips - I dropped a paperback in a pool once and it was totally destroyed! 3y
Lcsmcat @Rachel.Rencher 🤞🏻that it works. Let us know. 3y
MicheleinPhilly I have a hardback copy of this that I‘d be happy to send to you. Are you on GR? I‘ll shoot you a message for your address. 3y
Rachel.Rencher @MicheleinPhilly Oh my gosh, really? You're too sweet. I'm not on GR anymore, but email me your PayPal at rerencher@gmail.com. I'll send $ for shipping. 💕 3y
MicheleinPhilly Not necessary! I‘ll email you for your address. ☺️ 3y
72 likes8 comments
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Rachel.Rencher
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I wanted one book, and then I saw that books were 25% off, and then I saw you needed to spend $35 for free shipping, and then I remembered that I had a $5 off $40 coupon...and here we are.

Hi, I'm Rachel and I have a book hoarding problem.

eri.reads 🤣🤣🤣 3y
Branwen Doesn't seem like a problem to me! 😁👍 3y
Rachel.Rencher @Branwen The best kind of enabling 🤗💕 3y
81 likes3 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
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Pickpick

Mario Batali‘s loud, lewd behavior is on full display and I frequently threw it aside in disgust. There is also a general air of “dickheadedness” that we know is endemic in the high-end food world. But, THE FOOD. The lavish, loving descriptions of the food took me back to my childhood. Standing on a chair in the kitchen watching my Italian grandmother make dinners that I still miss almost 20 years after she passed away.

4⭐️.

LeahBergen This book was a real eye-opener for me (as to that dickishness) and it actually added to my “enjoyment” of the read, if that makes sense? And you‘re right. That FOOD. 5y
LauraBeth Your grandmother‘s food could have probably run circles around Mario‘s food. 5y
HardcoverHearts His book Among the Thugs is one of the most intense books about sport violence I have ever read. 5y
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emilyhaldi I‘m getting hungry just reading your review 🤤 5y
emilyhaldi Just realized Babbo is featured... I went for my birthday last year and it was one of the best meals of my life 🙌🏻 So whatever Batali is doing, I would say keep doing it 😆 5y
Cathythoughts Great review ♥️ 5y
62 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
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Trying not to let my personal opinion of the man that looms so large in this book, color my opinion of the book itself. We shall see.

LeahBergen I know! 😩 I read it years ago and loved it. 6y
Guildedearlobe It‘s tough to enjoy books about people who turned out to be a scumbag. Not really the same but similarly I had to stop listening to a series I liked because the narrator turn out to be a scumbag. I just couldn‘t deal with hearing his voice. 6y
BooksForEmpathy Yummm! I think we‘ll have pasta tonight for dinner too! 6y
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saresmoore Your dinner looks delicious! 6y
Reviewsbylola Looks delicious! 🍝 6y
MicheleinPhilly @BooksForEmpathy @saresmoore @Reviewsbylola 97 degrees and I crave pasta. Although let‘s face it - I always crave pasta. 6y
MicheleinPhilly @Guildedearlobe Oh I totally get that. Some people disgust me to the point that even seeing their face makes me 😒. 6y
MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen I mean, so far so good. But even 40 pages in I‘m thinking “So no one knew he was a dick? OK, sure.” 🙄 6y
Reviewsbylola We had pasta here tonight too and it is booooooiiiiiling. And now I‘m taking a bath, so apparently it doesn‘t bother me too much. 😂 6y
MicheleinPhilly @Reviewsbylola Oh it bothers me PLENTY. Me last night: “Get off of me Pickles. I‘m roasting!” You‘d think we don‘t have AC or something. 6y
Reviewsbylola 😂😂😂😂 6y
88 likes11 comments
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mrp27
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#backtoreading #booksandbooze

Went to book club tonight and came home with this foodie fiction haul, score! Now ending the evening with an ice cold beer, there's nothing better on a hot summers night. Cheers!

BibliophileMomma Love the cup! 7y
Pheonixlike Ice... cold... beer... (Homer Simpson voice) 7y
mrp27 @Tiffy_Reads Thanks! It's the only glass I'll drink a beer from. 7y
35 likes4 comments
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candyflossramparts
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JacqMac
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"An amateur's adventures as kitchen slave, line cook, pasta-maker, and apprentice, to a Dante quoting butcher in Tuscany." I loved this book! It has lots of #ScenesFromAnItalianRestaurant #RockinMay

LeahBergen This was such a great read!! 7y
Cinfhen Ooohhh! I'm so intrigued! 7y
Litlady Loved this! 7y
50 likes5 stack adds3 comments
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Spiderfelt
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When the Pages are given free reign to fill the displays at the library, #spinepoetry happens.

Lindy 😀😀😀 7y
RadicalReader @Spiderfelt so incredibly awesome sounding love when books are so playful like this 7y
18 likes2 comments
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GinaAnderson
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When a New Yorker writer interns at one of Mario Batali's restaurants, you get Heat. #booksthatmademehungry #somethingforsept

BookishMarginalia Sold! Stacking 👍🏼🤓 8y
RealLifeReading This was such a fun read! 8y
DebinHawaii A definitely fun and hunger-inducing read! 🍴📚❤️ 8y
LeahBergen I LOVED this one. 8y
51 likes6 stack adds4 comments
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Leelee08
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Pickpick

I love food memoirs and cookbooks. This is the shelf next to my kitchen, and it's got a little of both on it!!

BethFishReads It's a great audiobook too 8y
Leelee08 @BethFishReads I bet it is. I liked his writing style!😀 8y
67 likes2 stack adds2 comments