Fans of Emeril and Bobby Flay on the Food Network — beware! Anthony Bourdain, the loud, opinionated, foul-mouthed chef and author of “”A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisine”” probably doesn’t like you. In fact, he probably has total contempt for sellouts and even his own fans.
Guardian
Instead of “”bellowing catchphrases at his wildly barking, seal-like studio audience,”” Bourdain does his best to tell people what life and food are all about through his books and his television series, “”A Cook’s Tour,”” which chronicles his adventures as an international globetrotter and expert in “”extreme cuisine.””
The 40-something-year-old New York sensation has become an international celebrity with his gritty novel, “”Kitchen Confidential,”” which exposes the dark side of the culinary world. His newest endeavor will leave you feeling everything from laughter to self-loathing to disgust, and even wonder. Impossible, you say, that a man could do so much writing about food, of all subjects? Well, believe it, ’cause he did.
Although the book is written in an extravagant and sometimes puerile manner, Bourdain’s abilities as a storyteller and social commentator undoubtedly exist, even if they are a bit immature. He convinces his readers through his sheerly forceful and unapologetic language that what he says is right.
“”I never expected to be in a position to write this book,”” Bourdain said. “”Who would bankroll this? I spent my whole life in kitchens. You know, the guy who’s flipping burgers here, that’s pretty much how I saw the world in the confines of my kitchen.””
For a book that was never supposed to happen, it is a wonder: sixteen chapters that trace a lunatic of a man as he travels to exotic locations, from Cambodia to Spain to Russia, eating things most Americans never even see in a grocery store. No wimpy recipes or cheesy travelogue descriptions for this man; he gets into the meat of the story. He’s the guy who’s there to help disembowel pigs, eat cobra hearts, frolic around Vietnamese markets, pound vodka with monstrous Russians, and do things no sane American would ever do.
The book, written in an engaging and realistic manner, reflects Bourdain and his coarse sense of humor. Bourdain’s writing style, true to his real-life persona, is long-winded and unforgiving.
“”I write like I talk, and I talk a lot,”” Bourdain said. “”And I come from a proud oral tradition of bullshitting and ball-busting in the last meritocracy on earth: the life of a professional cook.””
He tells it like it is, and sometimes his way of telling things is so unconventional that you have to stop and wonder. For example, how often is the cooking industry compared to porn? My point exactly.
Although obviously not a scholar, Bourdain’s language adequately captures the atmosphere of his surroundings and describes his feelings in each situation. Exotic locales and extraordinary (sometimes gruesome) culinary delicacies surface, giving readers a tiny glimpse of what can be found in various countries. All the while, Bourdain’s commentary and antics add sidesplitting humor or invoke deep insight, making this a surprisingly engaging book.
As Bourdain says about this book and the show that came out of it: “”I’m just as unpleasant on my show as I am in person. There’s no script. I’m drunk in half the shows. They beat me for language. I smoke … animals were hurt and killed in the making of this series. You know, it’s very cinema verite-gonzo journalism, and in one episode I’m happy and the next I’m pimply, terrified and projectile vomiting.””
The completely unconventional and impetuous Bourdain, whether you like him or not, has talent and is incredibly amusing. And for those of you who think food is boring and confined to pretty chefs in spotless television kitchens, “”A Cook’s Tour”” will show you how wrong you really are.
A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cosine
By Anthony Bourdain
Now available in paperback
“”A Cook’s Tour”” aires on the Food Network.
