I believe that the rarest person in the US is one that has not attended a catered event. Caterers are integral in weddings, birthdays, proms and charity events. But while we attend many catered events, it is the rare person who knows and understands what goes on behind the "rods and curtains" to bring us that meal we are enjoying.
Hotbox by brothers, Matt and Ted Lee, lifts that curtain and shows the working that goes into providing the catered meal.
I admit that I was surprised by their revelations. My vision of the workplace for caterers was one of hectic running around, shouted orders, dropped plates and misplaced pots and ingredients. According to the Lees, catering is like a well choreographed dance. Everyone has a place to be, a job to perform and a necessary role to play. Pre-planning is the caterers mantra. The unexpected is an anathema.
Caterers have this trick that they have developed over the years. I was surprised to learn that meals are seared in the caterers kitchen, packed into trays in a "hotbox", bought to the event site and finished cooking using Sterno. The Hotbox is the absolute necessity for caterers. It's uses are fundamental to successful catering.
.There are other revelations in Hotbox. These revelations explain the inter-workings that make it possible for caterers to perform their magic.
The creation and tricks rarely apply to the home cook who caters their family meals. The other disappointment for me was the lack of "stories." Surely soup was poured on an A lister, trucks containing fragile trays of fragile desserts were sent to incorrect addresses or something dramatic and memorable occurred at least a few times.
The Lees present a story of well run, well planned catered events with almost no drama.
The book is a well developed story of ingenuity and dedication that permeates the successful catering story. I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #NetGalley #Hotbox

Working in a food related industry, I can’t resist a food book! This memoir/investigation into the world of catering was interesting but I felt a little rushed. It was a very quick read and it ended abruptly. The brothers alternated chapters which is understandable but made the book choppy. I felt like they didn’t really tie it all together yet it also didn’t read as a book of essays. That said, I learned a lot about catering.

Thank you NetGalley for my arc. This book did provide insight into the catering world. There was a lot of name dropping esp in beginning so you need to be a foodie to read this.

Matt and Ted Lee tell the secrets behind the catering industry. They each trained and had their own catering business for four years. Parties, fundraisers and cookouts. Special requests and what a hotbox is. It’s hard work, I worked in the industry for a few years myself. Well written.

I have been constantly looking for any book that helps give me insider knowledge about the food world ever since I read Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker and learned a ton of information about the world of wine and sommeliers.  When I saw this book, I was at first unsure if I was interested since I have never really cared much about catering.  Sure I have been to a couple of (lower end) catered events and generally am interested in all things food, but how much could really be said about the catering business from a food angle?  I am happy to say not only was Hotbox engrossing, but the very misgivings I had about the book made it all the more interesting and were addressed head-on by the authors.

The book begins with the Lee brothers explaining that their interest in catering came from seeing some catering chefs assisting at an event at the James Beard house.  They were intrigued by the methods they were using and decided to try to get involved in the catering world to do their research.  Five years of working in the catering business and conducting interviews later, the results are Hotbox.  The book alternates between sharing in-the-field experiences of the brothers and telling the history of high-end catering in the United States (primarily New York City and the surrounding area), highlighting important figures along the way.  There are lots of interesting tidbits about sales as they are related to catering, or particularly interesting or out-there catering companies, however, where I believe the book is strongest is when the brothers are writing about their own experiences in catering and the relationships they developed along the way.

Throughout the book they do a great job of highlighting just how different the demands are of chefs in catering than those of an at-home or even restaurant chef.  The ingenuity and downright Macgyver-like ability of these chefs is something that impressed upon the reader early and often throughout the novel and is absolutely fascinating.  Beyond that the examination of what kinds of people get into being catering chefs is incredibly compelling both in looking at chefs that burn out of the constant grind of events and those who seem to thrive in it.  The way many event chefs are mercenaries not attached to a particular company is also fascinating to learn about, and the Lee brothers do a great job of setting up how the particular set of events that occurred are the only reason things are the way they are.  The recurring people in the book are nice anchors to tell the story and I found myself just wanting to learn more about each of their lives.

Overall, I have nothing but positive things to say about Hotbox.  I feel like I learned so much about food and the catering business.  It had the effect that great books like this have where I felt myself thinking about how interesting it would be to work in a prep kitchen for a day or trying to learn the art/science behind how to operate the eponymous hot box as an oven or a fridge.  I cannot recommend this book.  Do yourself a favor and give it a read.

I love a good behind-the-scenes look at the service industry, whether it's high-end hotel concierges in Heads in Beds, or flight attendants in Plane Insanity. Hotbox does not disappoint, serving up harrowing stories of the surprisingly high-stakes world of catering. Also, now I'm hungry.

Peels back the curtain on what happens in the world of catering. Not the average Joe's catered party, but really high-end, expensive extravaganzas. Told through the eyes of brothers who worked together in the business, from starting out at the bottom to what happens at the top. Should appeal to any "foodie" type.

An intriguing behind the scenes look at the high stakes industry of catering. There were so many aspects of the business that I was not aware of before reading this book, having never worked in the business. The writing was extremely approachable and reading it felt like two of my friends were talking about the craziest aspects of their jobs. It was interesting to reading about all the effort that goes into making an event (seemingly) go off without a hitch.

Word to the wise: do not read this on an empty stomach. The Lee brothers are excellent storytellers and are very descriptive with every detail of each catering event that they are staffed on that the reader feels like they're in the room where the action happens. This was an absolutely fascinating read that lifts the veil on a business that thrives behind closed doors.

The world of catering that is explored in this book is not your run-of-the-mill catering, unless you happen to be a multi-millionaire. This book shows what it is like to produce $2,000 or $3,000 a plate meals in makeshift kitchens, night after night. Or even some $10,000 a plate dinners, and sometimes for thousands of guests. This stratospheric level of catering requires chefs and staffs with every bit of the skill required for top restaurants, but it requires a very different personality type. The Lee's book alternates between chapters based on interviews and chapters based on their own experiences as they take on the lowest level responsibilities in the catering kitchens. They set the scenes well, making me feel as though I were in, say, the Metropolitan Museum of Art to cook for a fundraising event or at the estate of an uber-wealthy client serving up a highly individualized wedding feast. The customers, whether they are event planners or pampered brides, are more than just caricatures. Full characterization, however, is reserved for some of the top players in the catering world. The Lees provide a historical perspective on the development of personalized catering as they wonder just how far this trend can go. Some really fantastic food is described, but the only recipe in the book is for pasta salad for 600 created in a bathtub, which still has me somewhat squeamish about catering food. Overall, this is a fascinating read.

While reading this novel, I have developed respect for not only the chefs and restaurant owners but caterers as well. The industry can be so hard and stressful and things go beyond food on your plate. I loved the stories the Lee Brothers shared in this novel and it made me feel like I was one of their employees trying to help them put on a event for 300 people and they only have less than a day to do it. Foodies, librarians and avid readers will appreciate books like these and want to come along on the journey with them.

Thank you Netgalley and the Henry Holt Company for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. We will definitely consider this title for our TX Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Interesting, behind the scenes look at catering. If you are a foodie, this book is for you.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Matt Lee &Ted Lee take us behind the scenes of high end catered affairs museum fund raisers the fanciest weddings etc.This book is a foodies dream for people like me who watch the food network all the time seeing behind the scenes .We follow the caterers from bidding for the affairs to prepping the ups the downs food burning chefs racing to get it done& those who prep the food so it comes out in a beautiful artistic style,This is a wonderful at times jaw dropping time racing look at this world & yes the extremely important HotBox the caterers important instrument that keeps the food warm ready to serve at perfect temperature ,#netgalley #Henry Holt&Companyfor advance copy,