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A review by pretentiousbreadcrumbs
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Insider's Edition) by Anthony Bourdain
5.0
I've been wanting to read Bourdain for some time now. To me he carries the same rough, Hemmingway-esque mystique that followed Hunter S Thompson; someone who should've ended up in the gutter or the gulag, but somehow didn't due to a revered literary talent. With this being my impression going in, it wasn't surprising to read early on that Hunter was one of Bourdains key influences as a youngster. I was glued to this book, my high expectations didn't ruin the experience for me either as is often the case.
Bourdain is a self-confessed snob, but reading this feels less like a poetic 5 course-degustation and more like getting slapped in the face with a 20KG tuna. It's brutal honesty is striking and hilarious, the fact that he had to make so many apologies in this revised edition to the renown chefs he insulted made it even more humorous. The behind the scene's look at the restaurant kitchens might shock or disgust the people who like to dine-out ignorantly, but the different perspective should also make them appreciate all the effort that goes in to putting that pretty plate of food onto your table.
In a way this book is multiple types fused into one. It's part autobiographical of Anthony Bourdains life as a misfit and cook. Part 'how-to' guide for aspiring home cooks and foodies, and part motivational too (at least for me). All sections of this book are thoroughly entertaining and people from all walks of life should walk away feeling either more informed or more grateful.
I really appreciate how much pages of this book he dedicates to giving appreciation for all people in that keep the restaurant business moving, from dishwashers, bus-boys, line cooks, even celebrity chefs. Anthony Bourdain has worked his way up from the trenches and has done it all himself, this makes his words of gratefulness all the more sincere.
It's a shame Bourdain is no longer with us. Hearing from someone who has overcome their own personal demons to achieve success through raw talent and a decades long commitment to hard work is a voice we all need to hear from more often. At least we can still hear him through his books.
Bourdain is a self-confessed snob, but reading this feels less like a poetic 5 course-degustation and more like getting slapped in the face with a 20KG tuna. It's brutal honesty is striking and hilarious, the fact that he had to make so many apologies in this revised edition to the renown chefs he insulted made it even more humorous. The behind the scene's look at the restaurant kitchens might shock or disgust the people who like to dine-out ignorantly, but the different perspective should also make them appreciate all the effort that goes in to putting that pretty plate of food onto your table.
In a way this book is multiple types fused into one. It's part autobiographical of Anthony Bourdains life as a misfit and cook. Part 'how-to' guide for aspiring home cooks and foodies, and part motivational too (at least for me). All sections of this book are thoroughly entertaining and people from all walks of life should walk away feeling either more informed or more grateful.
I really appreciate how much pages of this book he dedicates to giving appreciation for all people in that keep the restaurant business moving, from dishwashers, bus-boys, line cooks, even celebrity chefs. Anthony Bourdain has worked his way up from the trenches and has done it all himself, this makes his words of gratefulness all the more sincere.
It's a shame Bourdain is no longer with us. Hearing from someone who has overcome their own personal demons to achieve success through raw talent and a decades long commitment to hard work is a voice we all need to hear from more often. At least we can still hear him through his books.