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Amazon.co.uk Review
Kitchen Confidential is for diners who believe that their sublime sliver of seared foie gras, topped with an ethereal buckwheat blini and a drizzle of piquant huckleberry sauce, was created by a culinary artist of the highest order, a sensitive, highly refined executive chef. The truth is more brutal. More likely, writes Anthony Bourdain, that elegant three-star concoction is the collaborative effort of a team of "wacked-out moral degenerates, dope fiends, refugees, a thuggish assortment of drunks, sneak thieves, sluts and psychopaths," in all likelihood pierced or tattooed and incapable of uttering a sentence without an expletive or a foreign phrase. Such is the muscular view of the culinary trenches from one who's been groveling in them, with obvious sadomasochistic pleasure, for more than 20 years.
Bourdain, currently the executive chef of the celebrated Les Halles, wrote two culinary mysteries before his first (and infamous) New Yorker essay launched this frank confessional about the lusty and larcenous real lives of cooks and restaurateurs. He is obscenely eloquent, unapologetically opinionated, and a damn fine storyteller--a Jack Kerouac of the kitchen. Those without the stomach for this kind of joyride should note his opening caveat: "There will be horror stories. Heavy drinking, drugs, screwing in the dry-goods area, unappetizing industry-wide practices. Talking about why you probably shouldn't order fish on a Monday, why those who favour well-done get the scrapings from the bottom of the barrel, and why seafood frittata is not a wise brunch selection.... But I'm simply not going to deceive anybody about the life as I've seen it." --Sumi Hahn --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Gaurdian, January 26th, 2002
'He didn't invent the laughing-and-barfing genre, but it's a dish he does exquisitely'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was given this book and instructed to read it. I was mildly interested in it as I do love food. What I wasn't prepared for was how much this book would cause me to love food (and be fascinated by it) even more. I loved everything about his book. Of course this doesn't mean that it's the greatest book ever written. What it does mean is that it was exactly what I like in a book.
I laughed out loud many many times. I was shocked in places, especially at Tony's stabbing of a fellow (though arguably deserving) cook's hand!
His love of food was great to read, as was his acid writing style. As a previous reviewer said, it makes me want to meet Tony.
I will be reading A Cook's Tour as soon as get my hands on it. Just read it.
Inspiring.
I laughed out loud many many times. I was shocked in places, especially at Tony's stabbing of a fellow (though arguably deserving) cook's hand!
His love of food was great to read, as was his acid writing style. As a previous reviewer said, it makes me want to meet Tony.
I will be reading A Cook's Tour as soon as get my hands on it. Just read it.
Inspiring.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As fast and furious as a prep-cook working his way through a pound carrots needing dicing and only a butchers knife at hand and a minute to go. Bourdain lets it all hang out and confirms that cooks are one special breed indeed - when solemnly exercising their creative talents let alone when they're inebriated and/or intoxicated. Both happens a lot in the book but it all helps convey the gristy salty experience it must be to stand with a kitchen akin a bedlam and roomful of people waiting for the soufflé that just collapsed.
It also makes one wonder why we enjoy eating out - even the most unimaginative person can guess what shenanigans go on in the kitchen (and if not, read this book and you won't need any imaginative powers at all). They get up to all sorts and yet, we continually put our palates, stomachs and ultimately lives in the hands of cooks, chefs and kitchen porters.
- Why? Well, Anthony Bourdain has quite clearly survived 25 years in the trade with both tastebuds and narrative powers intact so why shouldn't we - when there is so much to gain. OK, so he does have some sensible advice, which he says he follows himself, including the no-seafood-on-Mondays rule.
Read the book and I think you'll find it as wholesome and satisfactory as four course meal with the one lingering thought it might just have been that one notch closer to perfection had there just been three.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Kitchen Confidential
Bought this for my son who works in a kitchen and he is loving this book and telling every one about it so must be good!
Published 1 month ago by jilly flower
IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST...
I totally loved this book! If one is a foodie, a gourmand, or lover of memoirs, one will thoroughly enjoy this rollicking, insider's account of the restaurant industry and how the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lawyeraau
The dark side of a cook's life.
I don't read a lot of biographies but knowing that Kitchen Confidential had been on the New York Times best-seller list many years ago I thought I would give it a go. Read more
Published 7 months ago by D. Jones
Tall tales told at the end of a full day
This autobiography is now seen as a classic; it's worth asking how much it has contributed to the assumption among young cooks that the professional catering world is a... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Peasant
humorous and insightful
If you're familiar with Mr Bourdain's tv series "No Reservations" and, like me, find that his humor and insight are what makes the show work, you wont be disappointed by this... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Tiago Pedroso
Excellent book - but the Kindle version leaves a lot to be desired
First off, let me just say that this is a fantastic book. I had a lot of fun reading it, which is why I'm giving the book itself 4 stars. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. Bradley T. Abrahams
good
great book.. read and learn what happens behind the doors.. every kitchen is the same..
Published 22 months ago by londonsman
Mussels Please !
Great book, A good insight into the restaurant underbelly and the mind of Mr Bourdain himself. Please read....
Published 23 months ago by John B
Excellent book
This was one of the best books about the culinary arts I have ever read. It's very engaging and really holds your attention. Read more
Published on 17 Oct 2009 by Jess
I'm hungry
Kitchen confidential is a very well written book, Anthony starts with his firt contact with the cusine in France, from there moving to several restaurants and life experiences... Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2009 by C. E. Lopez Ferreira
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