book discussion

bourdain sucks. i think he's just a giant male ego looking for gratification. he was an adequate cook who used an iron stomach and the average person's fascination with unknown and different foods to build himself a career. for that, i suppose i have to admire him. but i find his me me me attitude and his colmlete inselsitivity to indigenous peoples whose culture he is appropriating appalling.

one comment - say what you want but spellcheck your work first....

Margo - I get where you're coming from. Bourdain exhibits many of the alpha male characteristics that can come off as grossly self-promotional. but if you read his work, and watch no reservations, you'll find that he's very quick to make fun of himself and in the case of no reservations, question why he's making TV at all. kitchen confidential, by my judgment, shows a pretty caring, open-minded side of the guy who has remarkable loyalty to his mostly immigrant kitchen crew. not to mention he coos at the presence of tough kitchen chicks at any chance he gets. and if you read his les halles cook book, again, he's quick to point out that thomas keller would scream at you for making stock the way bourdain tells you to do it. but to say the guy sucks, well, i think you've got to be just stroking your own ego.

I just read Kitchen Confidential and I don't get why Margo says Bourdain is insensitive to "indigenous peoples". And many of his references to himself were pretty self-effacing. Did you read the interview and afterword?

Actually isn't it Bourdain himself that has said Chef's are egomaniacs and very self absorbed? And after reading his book and watching his show on the Travel Channel I can say in my opinion that he is far from looking for his own gratification, if anything he is avoiding it to make fun of himself.

I don't think someone who displays such horrendous spelling and grammar should be judging people, especially successful people. Take a look in the mirror, dear.