So, the name lies. Instead of “nasty” bits it is more like the tagline of “collected varietal cuts, usuable…”, cute but true. This is a collection of articles tossed out by Bourdain to a variety of receptacles. Esquire, Gourmet, LA Times. Not a bad batch of random stuff. They hit on every angle Bourdain has had in his career. Early musings on the nature of being a chef and the kitchen. Many mirror his travels in his two food shows. He name drops the masters of Hi-Fi restaurateurs. There are some gems: his trip through Las Vegas with Michael Ruhlman that was a great follow up to the episode it detailed, the decoding of the high end aesthetics in American restaurants, his ode to Viet Nam, the people and its food, as well his takes on food culture (TV, celebrity, the nature of food as a bit of culture). The but… it is only great if you love Bourdain as much as you love food. His style is set and often in the way (too many mafia references to count). He has prejudice against some of his fellow celebrity food types and a bit of self loathing about the whole thing. If you’re bored by the stick or truly love Emeril, stay away. The original publishers are all fine institutions that have good editors and voices that must be maintained. The usual acerbic wit from most are missing, presumably edited away little by little. Reading you know that it could be a bit more colorful and a tad funnier in the New York way one digs in Bourdain. Honestly, Bourdain’s Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking
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