The Chef's Jacket A Culinary Journey

If you have ever thought about becoming a Chef, Raymond's account of his career is a must read.  Watching cooking shows and competitions along with making great meals at home has little resemblance to the hard life of being a Chef. Raymond's insider view of the realities and the journey a young cook must take to become a Chef are honest, insightful, descriptive and above all motivating.  Until now there was little information to provide a real view into the business for aspiring cooks, this book should be required reading for anyone considering Culinary schools. Cooking is a vehicle for expressing love for others by delighting their pallet, lifting their mood, or soothing their pains. It is this passion that drives a Chef to endure the challenges that Raymond aptly describes. Raymond delivers a dose of reality, that every young culinarian should devour and will leave restaurant patrons a bit more thankful and in awe of the team behind their next great meal.

Raymond Hollanda has been Executive Chef at One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Saks Fifth Avenue, and has worked with some of the world's top chefs. For the last twenty years, he has been Executive Chef at the Lotos Club in New York City. The Chef's Jacket includes menus he has prepared there for the Club's "State Dinners" honoring notable people including entertainer Tony Bennett, astronaut John Glenn and opera great Renée Fleming.