For anyone who wants to quit their job and go to cooking school (and there are many of us who have or would LOVE to), this is a great read for you
The title is attributed to a chef who monologues that a dull knife crushes more of the onion, releasing fumes that make you cry. Thus you should always use a sharp knife so you have fewer tears. Before reading this excerpt, I thought the title referred to fewer casualties in the kitchen. Easier to cut yourself with a dull knife and so on. Either way, the book is full of great cooking tips and enough juicy food descriptions to keep you perpetually hungry throughout the entire read.
Each student takes home the dish they prepared in school that day and one of my favorite stories is about a homeless man who plants himself on a corner outside Le Cordon Bleu in the hopes of getting hand-outs. Well-fed, enterprising man.
The book is more than just a dry summary of what it was like to attend Paris' famed school, Kathleen does a great job pulling you in so you actually care about the chefs, students, grades and her life there. As someone who attended a Le Cordon Bleu here in Minnesota, I enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences between our programs. The book is also full of recipes from the school and fellow students. I have yet to try any, but if you do, let me know what you think!
I should also give a shout out to the movie Julie & Julia which I felt completely captured the heart and soul of the book. I particularly loved Merell Streep's portrayal of Julia Child. Definitely a food classic. Have you seen it, what did you think?