Friday, January 1, 2010

Anthony Bourdain

In my efforts to figure out what's next, I've been reading chef biographies. After finishing Julia, I started "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. I like him. At first, when watching his show, No Reservations, I found his crass demeanor offensive. However, after awhile, his blunt honesty grew on me. The more I watched, the more I sensed a soft heart behind the tough exterior. His book is written in the exact same tone. I do not recommend it for the faint of heart or those that do not want to know the truth behind kitchen doors. Those depictions did not bother me. I had seen or heard most of what he wanted to share. Sure, during his punk rocker chef days, he really pushed the limits- snorting coke lines the length of a bar or using whiskey to light the line on fire before each shift.

What did bother me, is the absolute certainty I felt that I do not want to work in a kitchen. I do not want to spend 16 hours on my feet behind a hot stovetop, burning my arms, and slicing off the tips of my fingers. Nothing in that sentence interests me at all. So, what in the *&$# am I doing going to culinary school????

I have to say, I still have no idea. But I do know I love food and all things food related. His culinary adventures through France and Tokyo made me salivate. I want to travel to far away fish markets and know exactly what I'm seeing and what to do with it. I want to know what goes behind a restaurant's famous dish that makes it so incredible. Simply put, I think I want to know and understand food.

Is that enough reason to stop your life for 1.5 years and pay way too much to go back to school? If anyone has any answers to that question, please be sure to enlighten me. For now, I'm back to the library on Monday to find my next literary adventure.

No comments:

Post a Comment