Heat - Bill Buford

A highly acclaimed writer and editor, Bill Buford left his job at The New Yorker for a most unlikely destination: the kitchen at Babbo, the revolutionary Italian
restaurant created and ruled by superstar chef Mario Batali.

Finally realizing
a long-held desire to learn first-hand the experience of restaurant cooking, Buford
soon finds himself drowning in improperly cubed carrots and scalding pasta water
on his quest to learn the tricks of the trade. His love of Italian food then propels
him on journeys further afield: to Italy, to discover the secrets of pasta-making
and, finally, how to properly slaughter a pig. Throughout, Buford stunningly details
the complex aspects of Italian cooking and its long history, creating an engrossing
and visceral narrative stuffed with insight and humor.