Michael Ruhlman

The narrator and main character throughout the autobiography, Ruhlman moves his family from Cleveland to Hudson Valley, New York simply to enroll at the CIA and learn how to become a great chef. He lives with his wife, a photographer and their small daughter.

Ruhlman starts out with a strong desire to learn how to cook, but a crisis of identity as to whether he sees himself as a true cook. Initially, Ruhlman is a writer who wants to know how to cook. After an important conversation with Chef Pardus, Ruhlman changes his direction. He suddenly realizes that he wants to be seen as a cook. This moment changes him and he begins to truly embrace his course sessions, although he has to sacrifice his unbiased perspective.

Along the way, Ruhlman learns a variety of techniques and gains a stronger understanding of the CIA and its main...