Our virtual host for the evening explained that he had discovered a copy of “Kitchen Confidential” in his house. It had been left by one of his sons, who is a chef, following a visit. His original choice of book had been “ Scottish Journey” by Edwin Muir but it had proved difficult to source and this required him to find an alternative. He found “ Kitchen Confidential” to be an entertaining read and was interested to hear what others thought of it.
A surprising choice. Very “alternative ”. Few of our virtual group had heard of Anthony Bourdain and those that had mainly recollected seeing him on television presenting programs on, travel, international culture and cuisine. No one had read this book or indeed any of his writings. Our host proceeded to enlighten us with a brief overview of Bourdain’s life and an insight into the creation of the book.
Born on 25th June 1956 in New York, Bourdain’s mother was an editor at the New York Times and his father an executive at Columbia Records. His father’s parents were French and it was through holidaying in France that young Anthony discovered his love of food.
He was a rebellious child. His challenging nature got him into trouble at school. He started to experiment with drugs and eventually dropped out. His fascination with the food industry was re-enforced while working in various kitchens in Provincetown Cape Cod. Initially a dishwasher he worked his way up through the various cooking stations before obtaining a place in the prestigious Catering Institute of America He graduated in 1978.
There followed almost 20 years of experiencing and exploring the practices of the cooking industry and developing his critique of these. In 1997 The New Yorker published his controversial article” Don’t Eat Before Reading This”. It was a brutally honest account of the inner workings of the restaurant world. This was the precursor to “ Kitchen Confidential” and heralded a step change in his fortunes with the launching of his popular TV series “ A Cook’s Tour” and “ No Reservations”.
He married twice, divorced once and separated from his second wife with whom he had a child, Ariane, in 2007. Tragically Bourdain, aged 61, was found dead in his hotel room in Kaysersberg, France on June 8, 2018, after committing suicide.
The book was generally well received with many admiring his no-nonsense writing style. Always direct and to the point while at times aggressive. His prose was considered to be unpretentious and entertaining. His attention grabbing use of “Kitchenese” was referred to by one critic as:
“A simmering stew of spicy adjectives and bitter expletives slung on to the page.”
His use of imagery and metaphors combined with a distinctive vocabulary brought to life the situations and circumstances he describes.
“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”
Those that enjoyed the book tended to do so on the basis of particular chapters or more general insights into the workings of the industry or the characters inhabiting it. This suggested an imbalance in the relative strengths of the different chapters or the themes being covered. It was suggested that this could be related to some confusion with the chronology of the main narrative. His frankness and apparent honesty were generally appreciated, all the more so when these attributes were layered with a total disregard for political correctness and the lack of filters of any kind.
“ I just didn’t give a shit at all what people might think. I didn’t think anyone was going to read it, so what did it matter. I just told the truth on every page.”
His use of short provocative chapter openings to entice the reader to read on were noted and thought to be effective. It was thought that Bourdain’s frank disclosures of his own weaknesses; particularly his early drug addiction gave him credibility in describing the horrors of the kitchen world. His reflective and self-deprecating manner was identified as important factors in the popularity of the book and his unique way of expressing this was admired by those who enjoyed the book.
“ I treated the world as an ash tray” and;
“ If you look someone in the eye and call them a worthless puddle of badger crap it doesn’t mean you don’t like them. It can be-and often is-a term of endearment.”
His exposure of kitchen culture, the personality of restaurant proprietors, the work ethic, the abuse of staff , the dishonesty and the unsanitary truth about the way the business works were all eye openers and had something of interest for most of the group However, it was his vivid evocative writing delivered in a helter skelter fashion that captivated most.
He was described by one of our group as the punk rock version of a chef. The Johnny Rotten of the culinary world. Outspoken and prepared to try anything once. He even ate and apparently enjoyed Haggis and deep fried mars bars when visiting Scotland during his Cook’s Tour series. It was suggested that the book should be of greater interest to those working in the industry; homage to their work ethic. However, it was pointed out that it had in fact been written to warn, inform, expose and alert all of us who dare to patronise restaurants.
Two members of our group did not enjoy the book. One thought it somewhat pretentious. Exaggerating for effect and boasting. Another was disappointed at the lack of characterisation. Even the advice given to avoid fish on a Monday or a brunch menu (often seen as an opportunity to get rid of leftovers) was dismissed as simply common sense. Advice on the best pots and pans, plates and kitchen knives to purchase was also scoffed at.
As often happens we digressed and spent time considering the work ethics of immigrant labour. This discussion was triggered by Bourdain’s many references to the hard working Mexican, Dominican, Salvadorian and Ecuadorian kitchen labour. It was suggested that their work attitude was based on the poverty they had experienced and their hunger for self-improvement.
It was thought that immigrant labour in the UK is also considered to be harder working and that this reflects attitudinal differences. Experience of many foreign students in Scottish Universities appears to support the contention that they are more motivated and harder working than locals.
As we drew the discussion to a close thoughts turned to the task of coming to terms with the advice. “Don’t Eat Before Reading This”. It was, after all, more than 20 years ago and based on New York restaurants. It was agreed that life without restaurant eating would be greatly diminished but perhaps safer.
Our host was thanked for proposing “ Kitchen Confidential “ and for leaving us more discerning and appreciative of restaurant food.
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