Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential

I was excited to read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential when I picked it up (I have always been a fan of the elite cooks who are on TV).  I was also hoping to gain insights to the best combination of foods, tips on some menus, and the experiences behind the swinging door into the kitchen.  The reader gets a ton of the latter, rather than the former, though one chapter did give me information on when not to go out to dinner (which night of the week) and what not to order on those nights.  My first job while in high school was working at a restaurant and many of the characters Bourdain presents were employees that I  interacted with, they are attracted to this kind of work, for sure.  Bourdain begins the book with his early childhood memories of how he “fell in love with food,” blames it on his first oyster experience.  Bourdain, a rich-spoiled brat who attended Vassar, quickly fell into drugs, sex and laziness.  He eventually dropped out of Vassar and entered the Culinary Art Institute, where he learned many lessons related to food, and then he perfected it while working at P-town and then top NYC restaurants, though he went through a ton of jobs.  I guess that’s what happens when you are using cocaine on a regular basis.  Bourdain shares the inner secrets of how to stay afloat getting the most out of leftovers, the many inspirational leaders / colleagues he worked with, and the not so smart ones too!  Working in a kitchen is not for the weak and lazy.  It is an extremely tough road to ride, the heat in the kitchen, the late nights, working on every holiday, and being in really close quarters with others makes for some really difficult relationships with peers.  While Bourdain is not the quintessential protagonist (all around good guy), he does have the fight in him to not be bulled over.  The book is less about the food in the restaurant and more about the personalities, the environment, and Bourdain’s experience making it through to where he is today.  Not exactly what I expected, but an interesting read nonetheless.