Don't Try This at Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs Ed. Witherspoon and Friedman

This was fun. I have to concede to points made in Amazon's review - that it wasn't as funny as it could have been, and there seemed to be an excessive use of the f-bomb - but it was amusing. Many of the "greatest chefs" bailed by reporting (occassionally with viciousness) on the failings and disasters of their colleagues. And most of them reported disasters which were salvaged by their own cleverness or simple good luck. Still, it was an entertaining set of anecdotes.

I guess I'm not such a big-time "foodie" because I had only heard of a few of the "World's Greatest." I was intrigued by the story that one of them told about going to France as a young man simply to eat at the world's finest restaurants. He would eat the cheapest local fare available all week and on Friday he would dress up in his suit and good shirt and tie and dine at a Three Star restaurant (maybe a few Two Stars). When he ran out of money and had to come home, he left France with the impression that the French were the kindest and most gracious people in the world. Later, he learned that he fit the profile of a food reviewer - male, young, dining alone.

It left me absolutely convinced that people who go into the restaurant business are even more insane than teachers. The hours, the working conditions, the everlasting stress, the monumental egos - it is hard for a non-fanatic to understand the appeal.