The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry - Kathleen Flinn

Date Finished: January 5, 2009
Genres: Culinary, memoirs, nonfiction
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

I love to cook. There's something soothing, methodical, and ultimately satisfying about putting together complex and tasty dishes that I love, so the desire to ditch my job for culinary school hits on a regular basis. While I just think about it, Kathleen Flinn actually did it. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is her interesting, often funny account of her days at Le Cordon Bleu, the world's most famous cooking school in Paris. Flinn gives a wonderfully detailed account of her ups and downs in Cordon Bleu's famous kitchens -- her run-ins with picky chefs, competitive fellow students, and her culinary triumphs and disasters. The book is also chock full of interesting facts about Cordon Bleu, Paris, and French Cuisine, and recipes at the end of every chapter give you a chance to try a little of Le Cordon Bleu yourself.

My favorite parts of the book were Flinn's descriptions of the people with whom she interacted in Paris: the famous chefs who create fabulous cuisine, but secretly love to eat at "McDo" (McDonalds); the World's Smartest Homeless Man who sits on the corner across from Le Cordon Bleu waiting for gourmet handouts from students; the fellow culinary student who has a little trouble with her lobster and ends up having to chase it across the kitchen. These people made me want to pack up and move to Paris and try my hand in Le Cordon Bleu's kitchens! This book was entertaining, enjoyable, and inspired me to do what I love. Bring on the kitchen!