Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s pure, unadulterated pleasure reading Bourdain’s books, and this was the first one I read. I was a waitress and beer wench for many years, and he nailed the nail square on the head regarding the “Seedy Underbelly” of restaurant life. Restaurant life is intriguing, a culture unto itself…the drama, the politics, the art, the suffering both in the kitchen and in the front of the house. He is as enamored of chef’s who cook from a place as I am, and his writing never fails to make me laugh and remind me that food is a medium of expression just like paint or marble.
Food television is saturated with Bourdain these days, and although I’m tempted to call him a sell-out, he’s never made any bones about why he does what he does: “your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Bourdain isn’t a high-minded pretentious prick, he’s a down to earth, smart assed prick, and I will always adore him.