Product Description

This is the tasty story of Michel LeBorgne's journey through a culinary life, a life that started on a farm in Brittany and led eventually to the New England Culinary Institute. Michel learned the basics from master chefs in Paris. Like many other ambitious young men (Jacques Pepin comes to mind) Michel came to New York City and quickly found employment in some of the city's most fashionable restaurants. Eventually, however, Michel turned away from the grind of the restaurant life and took a job with Yale University's food service. For more than a decade he combined the flair of French cuisine with the needs of a massive institution. When the opportunity arose to take on the teaching chef duties at a start-up educational institute in Montpelier, Vermont, Michel jumped at the chance. Now chefs and restaurant owners worldwide have learned their kitchen skills at New England Culinary Institute, many under the watchful eye and guiding hand of Chef Michel LeBorgne.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #546198 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-07
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Michel LeBorgne's earliest memories are of life in rural France during World War II. An accomplished bicycle race and rugby player, a summer job at a nearby resort/hotel convinced him that his future was in the kitchen. School was followed by a series of apprenticeships and jobs where he worked his way up through the various positions in the kitchen brigade, working under the sometimes stern tutelage of some of Paris's finest chefs. Seeking to take advantage of the growing popularity of French cuisine in America, he moved to New York, speaking only the universal language of the kitchen. Michel eventually transitioned his skills to education, as he became an instrumental figure in the success of the New England Culinary Institute, a school whose reputation and influence now extends worldwide.

Customer Reviews

The French Way in Vermont
Chef Michel LeBorgne is a natural-born storyteller. And it's quite an amazing story he tells in No Crying in the Kitchen. He's also something of a rascal, and that quality pervades this memoir of his life as a master chef and culinary teacher. In addition to the wonderful vignettes that spice up the core story of Chef Michel's work to create the New England Culinary Institute and turn it into one of the nation's most prestigious cooking schools, the book provides anyone who cares with a solid introduction to the basic principles of classic French cuisine. That, and the simple but scrumptious recipes he shares, are easily worth the price of admission.

From an Aspiring Chef
(This review was written by Sara-Katherine Coxon of Sharon, Vermont)

"No Crying in the Kitchen" by Michel LeBorgne is great read for both the talented chef, and those who wish they were (like myself). If you have visited or can appreciate the gastronomy of France, or if you have ever passed through Vermont and are familiar with the New England Culinary Institute's restaurants such as La Brioche and The Main Street Bar and Grill in Montpelier, "No Crying" is an especially exciting read. Being a Vermonter, it was a thrill for me to turn the page to LeBorgne's account of teaching students pastry-making at a NECI institution ("I love going to that bakery!") or meeting a favorite local cheese-maker ("hey, I know her!").

I was consistently making mental notes to myself to check out La Caravelle restaurant in New York and the cafeterias at Yale, places where Chef Michel describes the dishes and menus involved in his growing career as a cook in mouthwatering detail. The book is a wonderfully personal and humorous memoir that makes you feel as though LeBorgne is sitting next to you, telling the story himself. A great bonus was the over 40 favourite recipes of Chef Michel featured at the end of the book.

Learn from the best... read this book.
Set's an example and strong foundation for those who want to succeed in culinary arts or as a successful Chef.