What do you learn in a professional kitchen? Simple lessons that last a lifetime. In twelve reminiscences distilled from her experience as prep cook and line cook in one of New York’s most popular restaurants, Margot Mustich reflects on the challenges she faced and the rewards that linger even now, decades later. You Can’t Rush Onions is a book that will intrigue anyone who is curious about what happens behind restaurant kitchen doors. It’s not just about technique, it’s about survival, too, in a highly competitive, often chaotic milieu that taught the author much about cooking—and a lot more about life.

A dozen essays and one recipe.
Illustrated with photographs by the author.