Celebrate Bourdain Day
Intro to Cooking
I moved from Chicago to Iowa City (farm belt America) to be with my now wife, and as soon as I got there, I picked up a job as a cook. Everything was made from scratch and I received the hands-on experience in a kitchen you need to fully understand the nuances of time, technique and seasoning (flavor/salt).
Throughout this period of trying to figure out how to be the best cook in the world, I checked out so many books from the library. Besides the numerous cookbooks, I also checked out Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. This wild, rocky and flavorful book captivated me. It was like a 12 rd heavyweight fight between Tony and the kitchen itself. It was the first time I looked at the kitchen as something that was alive.
Fast forward a bit and after being a DNA lab scientist, a project manager on a $5M USACE (Army Corps) project, traveling to Ireland, Turkey, Greece, South Africa and Ethiopia, I landed back in restaurants – and I can’t help but imagine Bourdain helped lead me into this decision – only this time, I was on the front-of-house side of things.
Travel and Food – Tony an Inspiration
On Bourdain day, Anthony Boudain’s birthday, I’m reminded of the lessons Tony taught me along the way.
Eat where the locals are
Americans don’t work hard – immigrants work 10x harder
Don’t eat out Mondays to expect fresh – Chefs place orders Mondays and delivery come Tuesday
Don’t overbook yourself – experience one place instead
“Don’t be afraid to just sit and watch.”
With these in mind, Bre and I have traveled 30+ countries, eaten in alleyways, slept on floors in Nepal, watched sunsets in Myanmar, spent the night in the Sahara, hung out with Bedouins in Jordan, among numerous others.
I miss him a lot and think about him frequently. His shows and YouTube clips are there when you need a solid dose of Uncle Tony. For the upcoming generations that weren’t able to experience what Tony brought to most of us, I hope there’s someone coming up that will fill that inspirational role.
But no one will replicate Anthony Bourdain. Cheers.
