Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.) by Anthony Bourdain Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)
Book Review: if you are a chef buy it
Summary: 5 Stars
to be a cook this guy is a master, in few words he explain what exactly happens behind the revolving doors of a restaurant in a way that even a profane is amusedBook Review: Humour, drugs, profanity and good food - heaven!
Summary: 5 Stars
You don't have to be a chef to love this book - just someone who's curious about life behind the kitchen doors. Who knew it involved so much sex, drugs and rock and roll? But be careful if you read this in public because you will laugh out loud - a lot.Book Review: Confessions From A Dark Kitchen
Summary: 4 Stars
Anthony Bourdain, Executive Chef at Les Halles, New York, has written far more than yet another memoir. Within these pages you will find humour, tragedy, pathos, engaging wit and attention gripping story telling ability. Oh yes, and horror! Never before has the lid been fully lifted from the bubbling cauldron of a professional kitchen to reveal to a hitherto unsuspecting public the full contents therein. Drugs, sex, rock'n'roll and much worse in the sort of excesses which put Fellini and Ken Russell to shame! Gasp at the incredulous characters who appear, sometimes occasionally, in Mr Bourdain's kitchens. Be afraid - be very afraid - as Mr Bourdain tells us all those little tricks of the trade which go on behind closed - or swinging - doors. Having attended catering college and started a career as Sous Chef many years ago I admit that some of these tricks are fairly common knowledge. But there are still tales here which grabbed my attention and made me vow never to go near certain restaurants again! Being based in America gives this book a certain distance - the sort of 'it couldn't happen over here' attitude which predated the arrival of McDonalds - and eccentricity which may deter many from buying it. Their loss. They will be missing out on one of this year's surprise successes, one of the most entertaining food books on the market and the sort of brutal reality that seems to have been lost in this country. Quite possibly, though, it is not lost but just hidden under a glutinous sauce of celebrity chef and Deliaism!Book Review: Over-egging the pudding
Summary: 2 Stars
For an admittedly talented man, Bourdain seems to have a rather depressing over-reliance on the language and preening of machismo. Being wildly gifted and creative as a chef is clearly not enough... but delusions of testosterone-fuelled, mafiosi-style swagger are ill advised. What a shame he couldn't have toned down the ludicrous posturing of his prose, and just stuck to the facts of his life and trade which, in themselves, make this an extremely entertaining book. An amusing little number, but lacks substance.Book Review: Read it and EAT!
Summary: 5 Stars
Anthony Bourdain tells the truth about realities in the restaurant world no one is supposed to know about;drugs, sex, rock and roll, attitude to spare, freaks & geeks, in essence - the underbelly of the beast where you eat. Take his advice about what days of the week to eat seafood or fish, and what NEVER to eat from a specials board. An engaging, down and dirty read that is funny and satisfying. A must read if you've ever worked in a kitchen, and well worth it if you haven't.