Like some of the dishes he loves, Anthony Bourdain himself is somewhat of an acquired taste, however I am a fan of all of his books and television shows. In The Nasty Bits Bourdain combines two of my favorite things -- the culinary world and short essays. In typical fashion, Bourdain pulls no punches and gives us a glimpse of the underbelly of the culinary world rarely shared with outsiders. If there were a gossip magazine for foodies, a kitchen "rag" if you will, Bourdain would be the editor in chief, as he spares no one in this collection of celebrity skewering and culinary gossip, no matter how famous or revered in the new world order of celebrity chefs and their ilk his subjects may be. Of course the irony is that Bourdain himself is a cog in that very machine, but so far he seems not to have lost himself in the hype and hoopla of the chef as rock star/tv personality world.
This is a great book to keep on your nightstand or in your briefcase for those times when you find yourself with twenty or thirty minutes to while away. Each essay is a story in and of itself and is a welcome respite from the news or events of the day. As the saying goes, truth is stranger, (and often more interesting), than fiction, and Bourdain has a constant stream of quirky characters and outlandish storylines at his disposal in the culinary world and he does not waste his resources.
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