Michael Ruhlman
Encyclopedia
Michael Carl Ruhlman is an American
author
. He has written 12 books of mostly nonfiction, the best known of which have been in collaboration with American chefs.
, a private boys' day school in Cleveland's suburbs
, and at Duke University
, from which he graduated in 1985.
) and traveled before returning to his hometown in 1991, to work for a local magazine.
While working at the magazine, Ruhlman wrote an article about his old high school and its new headmaster, which he expanded into his first book, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education (1996).
For his second book, The Making of a Chef (1997), Ruhlman enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America
, taking a variety of classes but not graduating, to produce a first-person account—of the techniques, personalities, and mindsets—of culinary education at the prestigious chef's school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, The Soul of a Chef (2000) and The Reach of a Chef (2006).
Ruhlman has also collaborated with chef Thomas Keller
to produce the cookbooks The French Laundry Cookbook (1999), Bouchon (2004), Under Pressure (2008), and Ad Hoc At Home (2009); with French chef Eric Ripert
and Colombian artist Valentino Cortazar to produce the lavish coffee-table book A Return to Cooking (2002); and with Michigan chef Brian Polcyn to produce Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing (2005). In 2009 Ruhlman also collaborated with fellow Clevelander and Iron Chef Michael Symon on Symon's first cookbook Live to Cook.
In 2007, he produced "The Elements of Cooking" based on the structure of the classic grammar book "The Elements of Style
." The book included essays about the importance of fundamentals in cooking such as heat, salt and stock, along with a reference guide to cooking terms. Much of the insight in the book is based on his previous food-related experiences at the Culinary Institute of America and from working with celebrity chefs.
In 2009, he published "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking," a book that explores basic preparations—bread, pie dough, custards—and how knowing the proportions of the ingredients by weight can free you from a subservience to recipes. He also made it available in full as an iPhone
application
.
In 2011, he published Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, a Cook's Manifesto, a book distilling cooking to its 20 basic techniques.
reality show Cooking Under Fire and on The Next Iron Chef
. He has also made several appearances in shows hosted by Anthony Bourdain
. In Bourdain's A Cook's Tour
he joined Bourdain and Eric Ripert
for a meal at Thomas Keller's The French Laundry restaurant. In Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations he appeared in three episodes, one devoted to Las Vegas
, one devoted to Ruhlman's native Cleveland, and one devoted to New York's Hudson Valley.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He has written 12 books of mostly nonfiction, the best known of which have been in collaboration with American chefs.
Personal
Ruhlman grew up in Cleveland and was educated at University SchoolUniversity School
University School, commonly referred to as US, is an all-boys K - 12 school with two campus locations in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area...
, a private boys' day school in Cleveland's suburbs
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
, and at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, from which he graduated in 1985.
Career
Ruhlman worked a series of odd jobs (including a brief stint at The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
) and traveled before returning to his hometown in 1991, to work for a local magazine.
While working at the magazine, Ruhlman wrote an article about his old high school and its new headmaster, which he expanded into his first book, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education (1996).
For his second book, The Making of a Chef (1997), Ruhlman enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is a non-profit culinary college located in Hyde Park USA, founded in 1946. The CIA also has branch campuses in St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as a campus in Singapore. It is a not-for-profit academic institution of higher learning...
, taking a variety of classes but not graduating, to produce a first-person account—of the techniques, personalities, and mindsets—of culinary education at the prestigious chef's school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, The Soul of a Chef (2000) and The Reach of a Chef (2006).
Ruhlman has also collaborated with chef Thomas Keller
Thomas Keller
Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997...
to produce the cookbooks The French Laundry Cookbook (1999), Bouchon (2004), Under Pressure (2008), and Ad Hoc At Home (2009); with French chef Eric Ripert
Eric Ripert
Eric Ripert is a chef, author and television personality specializing in modern French cuisine and renowned for his work with seafood. His flagship restaurant, Le Bernardin, located in New York City, is routinely ranked among the best restaurants in the world by Restaurant magazine's and S...
and Colombian artist Valentino Cortazar to produce the lavish coffee-table book A Return to Cooking (2002); and with Michigan chef Brian Polcyn to produce Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing (2005). In 2009 Ruhlman also collaborated with fellow Clevelander and Iron Chef Michael Symon on Symon's first cookbook Live to Cook.
In 2007, he produced "The Elements of Cooking" based on the structure of the classic grammar book "The Elements of Style
The Elements of Style
The Elements of Style , also known as Strunk & White, by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, is a prescriptive American English writing style guide comprising eight "elementary rules of usage", ten "elementary principles of composition", "a few matters of form", a list of forty-nine "words and...
." The book included essays about the importance of fundamentals in cooking such as heat, salt and stock, along with a reference guide to cooking terms. Much of the insight in the book is based on his previous food-related experiences at the Culinary Institute of America and from working with celebrity chefs.
In 2009, he published "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking," a book that explores basic preparations—bread, pie dough, custards—and how knowing the proportions of the ingredients by weight can free you from a subservience to recipes. He also made it available in full as an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
application
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
.
In 2011, he published Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, a Cook's Manifesto, a book distilling cooking to its 20 basic techniques.
Television
Ruhlman has acted as a judge on the PBSPublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
reality show Cooking Under Fire and on The Next Iron Chef
The Next Iron Chef
The Next Iron Chef, is a limited-run series on the Food Network now in its fourth season. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program Iron Chef America....
. He has also made several appearances in shows hosted by Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Michael "Tony" Bourdain is an American chef, author and television personality. He is well known for his 2000 book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and is the host of Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure program Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.A...
. In Bourdain's A Cook's Tour
A Cook's Tour
A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines is a New York Times bestselling book written by chef and author Anthony Bourdain in 2001. It is Bourdain's account of his world travels — eating exotic local dishes and experiencing life as a native in each country...
he joined Bourdain and Eric Ripert
Eric Ripert
Eric Ripert is a chef, author and television personality specializing in modern French cuisine and renowned for his work with seafood. His flagship restaurant, Le Bernardin, located in New York City, is routinely ranked among the best restaurants in the world by Restaurant magazine's and S...
for a meal at Thomas Keller's The French Laundry restaurant. In Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations he appeared in three episodes, one devoted to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, one devoted to Ruhlman's native Cleveland, and one devoted to New York's Hudson Valley.