11/05/2026
MAKING IT: Success in the commercial kitchen by Ellen T. Meiser
Making It examines how restaurant workers advance in America’s competitive kitchens. Sociologist Ellen Meiser shows that career success depends on accumulating “kitchen capital”—a mix of cooking skills, workplace fit, and the ability to navigate hierarchical culture. Based on 120 hours of kitchen work and interviews with 50 chefs and cooks, the book reveals strategies such as demonstrating expertise, managing emotions, and influencing coworkers, highlighting how knowledge, power, and interpersonal skills determine who rises and who struggles in high-pressure culinary environments.
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