At the French Culinary Institute, Lauren Shockey learned to slice and dice, cook fearlessly over high heat and knock back beers like a pro. But she also discovered that her real education wouldn’t begin until she actually worked in a restaurant.
After a disappointing apprenticeship in the French provinces, Lauren hatched a plan for her dream year: to apprentice in four high-end restaurants around the world. From the ribald humour of the kitchen and run-ins with the fiery workers to tasks ranging from the mundane (mincing cases of shallots) to the extraordinary (injecting bizarre ingredients to transform mayonnaise into a fried food), FOUR KITCHENS shows us what really happens behind the scenes in haute cuisine, and includes original recipes integrating the techniques and flavors Lauren learned along the way. Starting in her hometown of New York City, she travels to Vietnam, Israel, and back to France, where each new kitchen presents its own set of challenges, from language barriers to stronger-than-usual resistance to a woman in a professional kitchen.
The adventures of this restless young woman, set against the background drama of hyper-masculine restaurant life, is a captivating story for food lovers everywhere.
