Culinary Careers: How to Get Your Dream Job in Food with Advice from Top Culinary Professionals »

Recommended for readers seeking a thorough introductory exposure to today's professional possibilities in the culinary world.—Eric Petersen, Kansas City P.L., MO, Library Journal

Turn a passion for food into the job of a lifetime with the insider advice in Culinary Careers.

Working in food can mean cooking on the line in a restaurant, of course, but there are so many more career paths available. No one knows this better than Rick Smilow—president of the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), the award-winning culinary school in New York City—who has seen ICE graduates go on to prime jobs both in and out of professional kitchens. Tapping into that vast alumni network and beyond, Culinary Careers is the only career book to offer candid portraits of dozens and dozens of coveted jobs at all levels to help you find your dream job.
     Instead of giving glossed-over, general descriptions of various jobs, Culinary Careers features exclusive interviews with both food-world luminaries and those on their way up, to help you discover what a day in the life is really like in your desired field.

• Get the ultimate in advice from those at the very pinnacle of the industry, including Lidia Bastianich, Thomas Keller, and Ruth Reichl.
• Figure out whether you need to go to cooking school or not in order to land the job you want.
• Read about the inspiring—and sometimes unconventional—paths individuals took to reach their current positions.
• Find out what employers look for, and how you can put your best foot forward in interviews.
• Learn what a food stylist’s day on the set of a major motion picture is like, how a top New York City restaurant publicity firm got off the ground, what to look for in a yacht crew before jumping on board as the chef, and so much more.

With information on educational programs and a bird’s-eye view of the industry, Culinary Careers is a must-have resource for anyone looking to break into the food world, whether you’re a first-time job seeker or a career changer looking for your next step.

Library Journal

Hamilton, founder and CEO of the French Culinary Institute in New York, offers a guide that can best be described as a notebook for those considering the culinary profession, enhanced with her solid advice on job searching, applying, and negotiating offers. Listings of a few helpful web sites and books round out her work. The embedded quotations from culinary students would have more impact if they were not anonymous. Smilow, president of the Institute of Culinary Education, and McBride (coauthor, Chocolate Epiphany) offer a combination of solid advice, written in a personable style, and interviews with successful people employed in several different culinary niches, including pastry and baking, catering, management, food artisans, marketing, nutrition, and education. The book closes with listings of culinary/hospitality programs, continuing education programs, professional organizations, and scholarships. Many books for those researching careers in food focus on only one area; however, like Ken Mondschein's Food and Culinary Arts, these books both take a broader view. VERDICT Hamilton's book is not recommended for libraries because it is simply too interactive; to get its full benefit, users must annotate it. Smilow's book, at only a few dollars more and with much more content, is recommended for readers seeking a thorough introductory exposure to today's professional possibilities in the culinary world.—Eric Petersen, Kansas City P.L., MO