If you're a foodie - you must read this book.

Would you consider the audio edition of Heat to be better than the print version?

This is a unique story from extended research from the author. It is very educational and entertaining. It'll keep you interested. I read the book and then later listened to the audiobook. The audiobook, as usual, was a much richer experience. Story telling is so much more entertaining.

What did you like best about this story?

The adventures in Italy were very interesting and enlightening.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended and certainly worth the time and credit.

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One of my favorite food books to date.

The stories in this book, as well as the food/restaurant insights, are fascinating. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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Enthralled

I loved this book. The subject, about the ins and outs of restaurants, and a voyage to Italy to learn butchering among other things kept me glued to this audiobook. I think it's very good quality and will re-listen to it again I'm sure. Probably one of my favorite audible downloads so far.

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How did we wind up here??

This is a story about how a New York author who, probably supported his wife, doesn't really work, and travels back and forth to Italy. Mario Batali is mentioned slightly more often than Marco Pierre White and while he does hold a position in the kitchen, in the end, all the author really wants to be is an author. Mario offers to open a restaurant for him and he turns it down. No doubt he really has "so much more to learn, to bring his concepts to their fullest."
As far as the reader goes, at any given time I am waiting for him to finish every sentence with "Ya see... Ya Ya....." Like an old mobster from the 20's. The story line has you in a kitchen one minute then seconds later you are in Italy and you wonder how the hell you got there. Very jerky jerky. Aside from those two things, it was just an Okay story.

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A Foodie's Delight

Any additional comments?

Foodies will find Bill Buford's story of working in Mario Batali's New York restaurant kitchen as a journalist "tourist", to be very entertaining. He clearly becomes entranced by what he experiences and spends much more time learning the craft than was needed for a magazine article. The story of the time he spends in Italy, in particular, learning how to make pasta and how to be a butcher is both touching and entertaining, and the entire book contains just the right amount of wry humor. If you enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential you will find Heat to be an enjoyable companion piece.

I agree with other reviewers that the narrator could have been better. He does attempt to convey emotion as needed, and does a fairly good job of it. He has difficulty with foreign pronunciations, though, and even a few words in English are mispronounced. I don't expect a narrator to be multi-lingual, but if narration is the profession you have selected, at least learn the pronunciation of the foreign languages whose words appear frequently, in their original form, in English - such as Spanish, French, and Italian. He also had trouble keeping several characters' accents consistent, particularly restaurateur Marco Pierre White, who was narrated with several different accents. I consider that to be just plainly sloppy work. Lastly, I would describe the narration style as sounding like a parody of Phil Hartman (SNL) doing a parody of a narrator reading a '40s detective novel, arched eyebrow included.

Overall, even given the narrator's shortcomings, I found "Heat" to be a very entertaining listen, and recommend it for anyone with a deep interest in food and the chaotic and passionate lifestyle behind it.

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Really nice journey into Italian Cooking/Restauran

Really nice journey into Italian Cooking/Restaurants. Mario Batali, Micheal Pierre White, Tuscan Butcher (God) Dario, Pasta Legends, chefs in white and much love for food.

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Funny and informative

If you could sum up Heat in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, self-reflective, heartelt

What did you like best about this story?

This is a true story about a food wise man, who wishes to improve knowledge and skill of food and its preparation. He accepts the lowest rung on the kitchen ladder without complaint, even though his age works against him. As a writer he is well ahead of the game to provide both entertainment and knowledge to his reader.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh a lot, yet tugged at my hearstrings at the end. Mr. Buford ended the story masterfully. I'm very disappointed he hasnt more offerings.

Any additional comments?

I boughtt a new set of tongs after finishing Heat. I feel in tough with Mr. Buford and all chefs with these in hand.

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Great Book! Awful Awful reading!

The book is riveting! Tons of information and extremely candid. The narrator is just awful. Incredibly smug in tone which belies the self deprecating tone of the book. Worst of all, the narrator grossly mispronounces Italian and French words while trying to overdo the accent for each word. Also, when he reads quotes from Marco Pierre White, he uses a bad Scottish accent instead of a British accent. I have listened to this multiple times because of the wealth of information in it but the narration is just torture. The author would have been a great reader - he's very animated when I've seen him be interviewed. It looks like the author did indead read the abridged version. I really wished that he did this one, too.

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Fantastic - Funny and Informative

Absolutely enjoyable and I learned a ton about what it is like to become a cook by working in some of the world's best kitchens. Lots of funny stories and anecdotes. Highly recommended.

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Foodies will LOVE this!

This is definitely a "foodie" book. From his beginning as a line cook for Mario Batali to his explorations in Tuscany to learn to make home-made pasta, we follow the author on his quest to learn more about the food for which he has always had such passion. His zeal for his subject is contagious and will have your mouth watering, though I have read reviews from non-cooks who could not handle the rather extensive exegesis on short ribs and I must agree that he does get obsessive at times. I'm into cooking and food prep and Italy for that matter, so I followed him every step of the way and enjoyed the journey.

There was some language thrown in that I thought was unnecessary, not overly excessive, just more than I would like. Overall, I enjoyed the book so much that I bought 3 copies for my brothers and brother-in-law who are all chefs and foodies too.

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