„ Anthony Bourdain is the head chef of the famous restaurant Les Halles, where New York's elite dine. In his autobiographical novel " Kitchen Confidential" he spares no spicy spice. His bright personality screams from every page, and some might find his personal presence too much were it not for this: Bourdain treats himself with the same criticality and vitriol that he displays to his other characters. But most importantly, every line shows his sincere and deep love for good food. It was born on a family trip to France and grew continuously. Bourdain is not a representative version of a chef who hosts a TV cooking show - his language is too foul for the hosts. But if you want to penetrate the secrets of a restaurant, you have to trust it. The book has useful stories for any customer, chef or restaurateur. A major theme is Bourdain's personal growth as a person and a chef. He might not like what we're about to say, but we discovered that Bourdain has a tender side that he tries to hide beneath his cynical words, and when you let yourself see behind them, Kitchen Confidential becomes you in much more than a food autobiography.” Publishers Weekly
“Bourdain is a veritable Jack Kerouac of the kitchen.” Sumi Khan
Anthony Bourdain will whet your appetite with this seductively funny, sometimes shocking treat, the ingredients for which he gleaned from his 25 years of experience in the wilds of haute cuisine. He hasn't forgotten some of the hidden spices like sex and drugs.
From the first oyster he ate in France to the fancy restaurant at the top of Rockefeller Center, from Tokyo restaurants to East Village drug dealers, from gangsters to rats, Bourdain's brilliantly written, shockingly candid autobiographical novel will make you laugh to tears and share his love for food.
“For me, the life of a chef is a long love story filled with supreme ecstasy, disappointments and funny moments.
Here you will find the happy happenings and moments – the things that drew you in, the things that keep you coming back for more. You'll also find some horror stories. Heavy drinking, drugs, sex in the dry goods warehouse… Why you shouldn't order fish on Mondays, why what's known as a speci alty is actually scraped from the bottom of the barrel, and why seafood frittata isn't a good choice for lunch… – all things that happen often in this business.
People with careers in the restaurant industry who read this book may or may not like what I have written. But they'll know I didn't lie.
And to the readers, I hope, I will be able to give the taste of these things and these times… This taste is both sweet, and bitter, and s alty… and very spicy!
And I would like to convey, as accurately as I can, the strange pleasure and enjoyment of language, pathos and murderous humor that can only be heard and encountered on the front line in the kitchen. I would like people who will read this book to at least get the feeling that this life can be fun, despite everything." Anthony Bourdain
Critics' Opinions
“Most restaurant-goers believe that their exquisite dishes of goose pate and buckwheat pancakes sprinkled with blueberry sauce are prepared by culinary artists of the highest class, by sensitive, sophisticated chefs. The truth is often much more brutal. There are real "artists," of course, but it's more likely, as Anthony Bourdain writes in "Kitchen Confidential," that your elaborate dinner with magnificent appetizers and entrees was prepared by a team of "morally degenerate, perpetually pissed-off evil ghosts, runaways, a band of thugs consisting of drunkards, thieves, drifters, light women and psychopaths who can't speak a single sentence in a foreign language'. A proven chef in the most elite restaurants, who has traveled the world in search of the most unique dishes, Bourdain is obscenely eloquent, a criminally good storyteller who shares his opinion frankly - a true Jack Kerouac of the kitchen.“
Sumi Khan, Amazon.com
“I laughed so hard I forgot to eat!
Oh, you will really have fun with this book while reading it. Afterwards, you will be torn by the memories of the funny and ridiculous situations that Bourdain describes in his book, and the memories of the terrible things that sometimes happen in restaurant kitchens. Kitchen Confidential is certainly worth a read. And believe me - because I'm a former restaurant manager - even the most absurd antics described here are true!
My kudos to Bourdain for the frankness with which few would dare to write about his craft. If you have a strong enough stomach, the book will be a real treat for you. Greetings from a man with good digestion!”
J. Davis, Amazon.com
About the author
Anthony Bourdain is one of the most famous chefs in the world. He worked as an executive chef for more than 30 years at the legendary restaurant Brasserie Les Halles in New York City and is one of the highest paid chefs in the culinary business according to the magazine's ranking. Forbes - "Top 10 Richest Chefs in the World" (2008). He is rude, constantly insulting, does not wear starched white clothes or spectacular tall hats. Add to that the use of an obscene amount of alcohol, drugs and promiscuous sex, Bourdain quite deservedly earned the nickname the Bad Boy of the culinary industry. In addition, he is a great cook, a talented writer and can infect anyone with his passion for food of all kinds. It is his passion and adventurous spirit that have earned him millions of gourmet fans around the world.
Anthony Bourdain was born in 1956. He attended Vassar College and graduated from the world famous Culinary Institute of America (KIA). He has worked in numerous restaurants such as Supper Club, One Fifth Avenue and Sullivan`s.
He is a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers and his articles on culinary secrets have appeared in the pages of The Times, New York Times, Observer, Face, Scotland on Sunday and Food Arts.
Bourdain is tempted by literature and is the author of several books, including two crime novels - Gone Bamboo (1997) and Bone in the Throat (1995).
His article "Don't Eat Before You Read This", published in The New Yorker, became incredibly popular, and as its natural extension, the autobiographical novel Kitchen Confidential (IC "Kragozor") was born.
The book offers a look behind the glamorous world of restaurant salons and reveals Bourdain's personal story. It becomes a worldwide super-successful bestseller.
In 2002, the Food Network television channel produced a 22-episode show with Bourdain's participation - "A Chef's Journey in Search of the Perfect Dish" (translated in Bulgaria as "Gastronomy Tour"), in which he traveled all over world and satisfies his culinary curiosity by tasting the most extreme foods he can find in different countries. He tries sheep's testicles in Morocco, ant eggs in Mexico, or a seal's eye in some godforsaken place. The book of the same name, written after the end of his journey, became extremely popular and reached the top of the literary charts in the United States and Great Britain. His cookbooks with recipes are also extremely successful among professionals and amateurs alike.
Bourdain's No Holds Barred cooking show, in which he prepares bizarre delicacies such as roasted African wild boar rectum, is a hit with Travel Channel viewers. At the end of 2011, his latest show - The Layover.
The series “ Confidential from the kitchen”
The story in the TV series "Kitchen Confidential" is based on the autobiography of New York chef Anthony Bourdain, which became a real bestseller around the world. The main character is the talented chef with an explosive character (as well as Bourdain himself) - Jack Bourdain, played by actor Bradley Cooper ("High Voltage", "The Last Bachelor Party").
When Anthony Bourdain was asked which actor he would prefer to play him, he replied with his enviable sense of humor: "Oh my God, I don't know, but for sure someone much uglier than Bradley Cooper… like Gary Oldman for example.”
Just like in the book, in the series there are revealed secrets from the world of haute cuisine, many passions and funny incidents, seasoned with a pinch of peppery humor. And all this in the name of good food and His Highness - the customer.
Producers of the series "Kitchen Confidential" are the professionals of the genre - Darren Starr, known to viewers as one of the creators of the series "Sex and the City", and Dave Hemmingson - produced the series "Just for a Picture" and "American father".
