I have been a fan of Anthony Bourdain since reading “Kitchen Confidential” in 2000. At that time I was still fairly new to cooking for a living, having just relocated to Michigan from New Orleans with some culinary arsenal to discharge. My mother presented me with this book after seeing Chef Bourdain on a late-night talk show. She thought I could find inspiration in the memoirs of a seasoned veteran, and she was right. I read it several times over, simultaneously feeling anxious to get back in the kitchen to learn more, and fearing it completely.
I recently entered an essay contest sponsored by Anthony Bourdain to promote his latest book Medium Raw. He posed the question ”What does it mean to cook well?” I was instantly intrigued and couldn’t wait to get started.
This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2010.
