Having spent my earlier career in the hospitality industry I really enjoy reading books about food and wine. Brigid takes you through her journey at that the CIA and makes you realize what a tough road it is to get an education from there.
The restaurant business is exciting and can be rewarding but it us a hard way to go through life with the many factors that contribute to it. Brigid tells her story of the good, bad and ugly that she experiences.
Well written, fun to read and I will gladly recommend this excellent book.

I love a memoir involving chefs, so when this came my way, I started it almost immediately.

Loved the in-depth look into the CIA’s rigorous training and learning about Brigid’s path. As an island girl myself (Dominican Republic), her visit home almost at the end of her schooling and what it meant spoke to me in so many ways.

Read this!

As a dedicated Food Network viewer I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love back stories so as I read this book I felt like I was walking beside Brigid as she navigated life as a student, journalist, and a woman thirsty for more. This book was both entertaining and educational. After reading Salt, Sweat, and Steam I am now able to relate to terms that are often spoken on culinary shows.

I recommend this book to foodies and readers with a taste for adventure. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Have always been intrigued by the rigorous training at The Culinary Institute of America after a friend attended, and from the author's gripping account, it's akin to surviving the most challenging Marine boot camp. Whew! Compelling and well written!

Brigid Washington’s memoir is a fierce and flavorful look at what it takes to enter the world of professional cooking when you begin as an outsider. She brings readers straight into the culture of the Culinary Institute of America, and the story feels alive from the first page. What I loved most is the perspective she brings as a young Trinidadian student navigating a place that can be intimidating to anyone.

Washington captures the grind of culinary school without glamorizing it. The unpaid internships, the pressure of practical exams, the exhaustion of late nights, the vending machine dinners that keep you moving when you are too tired to think, while at the same time, she shows the thrill of interviewing food legends and the longing to build a life that centers on taste and creativity.

The book shines when Washington connects her personal history to the training that reshaped her. The kitchens are demanding, but she never loses sight of the joy and ambition that carried her through each step. If you enjoy culinary memoirs with heart, and a strong sense of identity, this is one to add to your stack. Washington’s story lingers long after the final chapter.

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