Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Butcher in Tuscany

Bill Buford was asked by the New Yorker to write a profile of Mario Batali, the man in charge of one of New York's most successful 3-star restaurants. Buford agreed - only if Batali would allow him to work in his kitchen. This is the story of an amateur cook trying to survive in a professional kitchen.