Live to Cook was co-written with Cleveland’s own Michael Ruhlman who did a magnificent job weaving stories from Michael Symon’s life through dozens of great recipes and amongst teachings only a chef could provide. It doesn’t take long to forget this is even a cookbook; At times it seems more like a biography dashed with recipes.

More Than Just a Cookbook

If you think you already know everything there is to know about Michael Symon, I think you’ll be surprised by the touching and personal stories Michael shares about his life and his career. I appreciate that he revealed so much about his growth as a chef, it’s something we rarely hear about.

What’s invaluable about this book though are the "lessons" Michael gives to amateur cooks like you and me on just about every subject you might find in a kitchen. For example he pours his love of pickling out over three pages explaining all the different methods he uses, his favorite flavors and why he thinks pickling is so important. His passion for food is undeniable.

The Man Loves Food

Ahh yes, the food.  Live to Cook features recipe sections that you will find in most every cookbook like soups, starters and sides, but it’s the ones that you won’t find in other cookbooks that I was most impressed by: pickles and charcuterie. Pickling your own foods and curing your own meats?  Now this is a cookbook.

The recipes are a good variety of dishes he serves at Lola along with a number of family recipes like his Mom’s lasagna.  His Mediterranean heritage pops up in almost every recipe. The recipes are straightforward and easy to follow and each comes with a nice description from Michael about the origins of the recipe and what you should look out for to ensure its success. 

I do have one nit-picky negative thing to say about this book: Whomever’s idea it was to use that ugly and unreadable AC/DC Squealer-type font deserves to be fired. Ok, I feel better now.

Like I said in the beginning, I am really impressed with what Michael Symon has put together here in Live to Cook. Sure, it’s part cookbook with some really good looking recipes, but it’s also a thoroughly enjoyable book about a Cleveland guy making it big because he loved food. As Clevelanders, we could all use a feel good story about one of our guys. Michael Symon is truly one of the good guys.

Michael Symon’s Live to Cook – Book Review

• Michael Symon has a Blog
• How to Cook Everything – Book Review
• I’m Just Here for the Food – Alton Brown
• How to Create Your Own Cookbooks
• Michael Symon is still on Iron Chef America