I am ashamed to say that I first heard of Anthony Bourdain through the Joe Rogan podcast. I remember hearing such a strange yet commanding voice and I just had to know more about him so I started watching all of his shows and was hooked. Over the years I consumed just about everything he was on and something about his raw honesty or dark humor just made him seem cool. His voice overs had so much swagger, deep and romantic he was like a punk rock poet. After so many years I finally got around to reading the book that gave a middle aged kind of failed chef super stardom called Kitchen Confidential.
Obviously I won't spoil the book even if it is about 25 years old being that I was only 8 years old when it came out. The book Kitchen Confidential is a real look at what happens behind the facade of the gilts and glamor of fine dining as it talks about the misfits and broken people who work the kitchens. Bourdain talks openly about the addiction culture that happens in such a stressful environments with the long hours, low pay, drugs, and alcohol forming a strange brotherhood among everybody. Bourdain is open about his own battles with addiction and how cooking gave him a identity and redemption.
The book is written in sort of a diary/confessions of the industry style where he uses story in chronological order to give you the reader a perfect seat to the rollercoaster ride that is his like. From the start a of when he knew food was special to running multiple restaurants into the ground, and he even might or might have not worked for a mob run joint. He also exposes things like never order the fish on a Monday and tricks on getting a reservation anywhere. If you enjoy any of his shows I highly recommend you read this book, the whole thing is like one big voice over from one of his shows . I never thought that a book about a chef could keep me so entertained, but this is no normal chef he is Bourdain!
Kitchen Confidential Book
Kitchen Confidential Audiobook