Salt, Sweat & Steam - by Brigid Washington (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

With mouthwatering storytelling and open-hearted honesty, Brigid Washington serves The Devil Wears Prada for the "yes, chef" generation.

"What truly makes Salt, Sweat & Steam exceptional is that it is told from the point of view of a young, female, Trinidadian student. It is a fascinating narrative that is a welcome addition to the list of coming-of-age tales."--Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D. Professor emeritus Queens College/CUNY, Lecturer, culinary historian, and author of High on the Hog

Rich with detail, Salt, Sweat & Steam takes readers inside America's top culinary school and shows what's really required to become a chef: from brutal unpaid internships and gruelling practical exams to late-night vending machine dorm-room dinners while trudging through the rarefied world of fine wine. As editor of the school's newspaper, "La Papillote" Washington, a Trinidadian, meets and interviews food-world luminaries such as Jerome Bocuse, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller and savors the joys of a life devoted to food. She puts us all in her kitchen clogs as she finally achieves the perfect mise-en-place both in and out of the dignified kitchen of The Culinary Institute of America.

Unwilling to accept a future that was anything but delicious, readers follow along Washington's high-octane journey through the rigors and rewards of the country's most elite cooking school.

Review Quotes

"Homesick and heartbroken, Brigid Washington enrolls in an elite cooking school and brings us along for the delicious ride. Salt, Sweat & Steam is a breathtaking culinary roller coaster, and there's plenty of mouthwatering meals and zippy, yes-chef drama. But this is an immigrant love story above all, and Washington--funny, tender, and hungry--must find her way back to the flavors of home."--Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich

"Brigid''s a passionate, eloquent, talented food writer who easily stumbled into the elegant storytelling of real life. Her writing situates us in the drama, scholarship, and intimacy of food. What a joy and a gift she and her talent are." ---Kelsey Barnard Clark, Top Chef winner

"What truly makes Salt, Sweat & Steam exceptional is that it is told from the point of view of a young, female, Trinidadian student. It is a fascinating narrative that is a welcome addition to the list of coming-of-age tales."
--Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D. Professor emeritus Queens College/CUNY, Lecturer, culinary historian, and author of High on the Hog

"Brigid Washington knows food's power to tell more evocative stories and deepen connections between people. Brigid reminds us to think about what foods best define who, and where, we come from." - Julia Turshen, New York Times bestselling author

"I love how [Brigid's] pieces come together." - Chandra Ram, Associate Editorial Director, Food & Wine

"Brigid [tells] a beautiful, powerful, and meaningful story. We're so happy to have worked with [her]." - Sasha Levine, Digital Director Bon Appetit Magazine

"We are so honored to share [her] story and recipe with F&W readers."- Karen Shimizu, Executive Editor, Food & Wine

About the Author

BRIGID WASHINGTON is a Trinidadian food writer who has covered a variety of topics, including Caribbean food and culture as it intersects with life in the United States. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Washington is the author of Coconuts. Ginger. Shrimp. Rum and Caribbean Flavors for Every Season. Her writing has appeared in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, Harper's Bazaar, Southern Living, The New York Times, and a number of other publications. She serves as the vice chair of the journalism committee for the James Beard Foundation. She lives with her husband and two children in Raleigh, North Carolina.