Heat is built around Simon Borghesi's life as a chef, interwoven with stories from his background, travels and training, including under the renowned open-fire chef Francis Mallmann. Many of the recipes within make use of age-old techniques that bring the alchemy of food into effect. The spell is cast during the preparation, after which the food is left on its own to ' do its thing' . In much cooking practice today there is a focus on methods and techniques, less so on the spaces in between -- but that is where the magic lies.