Kitchen Confidential

This post is going to be a little different. I just finished my series on my Old World/New World Fiesta menu, Old World/New World Fiesta and I thought I would take a mini break from my cooking and recipes. As many of you might know, I also have a background in writing. My BA is in English Literature, and I love to write. I have written quite a few pieces for various newspapers and magazines, I have a background in the Public Relations realm, and am also a published poet. So every now and then, I like to show off my literary skills as well as my culinary skills and do something a little different. Today, I am giving you a short “book report” on the book Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain.

I admit, I did not know much about Anthony Bourdain’s early years, but I always liked him in his later years, especially as a Celebrity Chef. I liked his candor and fearlessness. But after reading his book, I was enlightened to his early years and his wild days. He was WILD indeed, and so were his kitchens.

A lot of what Anthony Bourdain says is true when it comes to “the culinary underbelly” as he calls it, but there are a lot of greatly exaggerated shenanigans as well, as least from my own personal experiences in the culinary world. The culinary world is most definitely made up of misfits that don’t really fit well into the rest of society. We all live by our own rules, and we are all part pirate and scoundrel, mixed with innovator and artist, though we provide a necessary skill that feeds millions of people around the world everyday. These skills we have grant us a leeway to the rest of the world and it’s norms. I agree wholeheartedly though, about food always being an adventure, and that “food, it appear[s], could be important. It could be an event. It ha[s] secrets”. (p. 13) I also agree with him when he says, “cooking is a craft, … and good cooks are craftsmen, not artists”. (p. 62) However, I disagree with Bourdain’s assessment that all kitchens are lawless and run on pure chaos. Maybe in his time, but certainly NOT most of the kitchens I have ever worked in.

Most of the kitchens I have ever worked in run a tight ship, with the Chef (Executive Chef) as the captain. We follow his or her orders and say “yes chef”, no questions asked. If we can survive the “underbelly”, and by luck and skill, fortitude, tenacity and persistence, maybe, just maybe, one day we will be the captain at the helm of our own kitchen. But again, I do love a good rebel, and Anthony Bourdain was one of the best rebels the culinary world ever had. I myself am most definitely a rebel. Always have been and always will be, but certainly NOT to his level. No, no, no. By his standards, I am a mere amateur. I am a lot more disciplined; in some ways, than he ever was. We professional misfits can only be tamed so much. There are limitations. Rebellion is in our blood, after all. Most of us, if we are good anyway, don’t really know how to act outside of our own kitchens, with “normal” people. 🙂 Though this has improved and gotten better over the years. We old chefs can learn new tricks too.

In order to be a good chef, or even a good cook, you need to acquire some good survival skills in the kitchen. Good knife skills are a must. There are a lot of people who tell you that you have to have a goody bag filled with all kinds of fun toys in order to be successful, but in truth, you just need a couple of good knives and the skills that go with those knives. Most of us have two favorite knives that are indispensable to us; a good chef’s knife that fits our hand like a glove and a good pairing knife. There are a few other things that will help out as well, but if you know what you are doing, you can easily get by with just these two knives. “Nothing will set you apart from the herd quicker than the ability to handle a chef’s knife properly”. (p.77).

Another key to success in the professional kitchen is to NEVER skimp on quality or freshness of the food. NEVER!!! This is forbidden and will never be forgiven. If you violate this simple truth, you will never be respected in the culinary world again. And things don’t have to be fancy in order to be considered good. Far too many chefs these days seem to have forgotten this general rule. As I have said many times, keep it simple, stupid, or follow the K.I.S.S. rule. “Good food is very often, even most often, simple food. … Just make sure they’re good ingredients, fresh ingredients, and then garnish them. How hard is that?” (p. 83)

Bourdain also describes what it takes for a restaurant to make it too, NOT just the chef or the kitchen staff. The restaurant industry is a TOUGH industry. It is most definitely NOT for everyone, and don’t even think about it if you are sensitive or easily offended. It’s hard enough as it is, but you’ll never survive if you are not thoroughly toughened, both inside and out. Working in the professional culinary world is likened to being in the military, and rightly so. “The chances of ever seeing a return on your investment are about one in five”, if you’re lucky. (p.84) The restaurant business is very demanding, and there is no room for anyone who is not dedicated and committed, and more than a bit crazy, and even then, it’s still a crap shoot. Anyone venturing into the restaurant business needs to be prepared to be “working 17 hour days, with total involvement in every aspect of a complicated, cruel, and fickle trade”. (p. 88). You will give up your personal life, and nights, weekends and holidays all belong to the kitchen.

You also need to be a good leader when you become the chef, or el heffe. Your staff becomes your family, and you will definitely see your staff way more than you will see your actual family. Your staff will look up to you and depend upon you, for just about everything. You are their leader, and you must be fearless. They will sense it if you’re not, and everything will go downhill from there if they sense any hint of fear. You have to wear many hats all in one, all the time, and you as “the leader, [have to be] a combination of good guy/bad guy, as the job requires”. Genteel sensibilities are unwelcome. Lead, follow or get out of the way”. (pp. 90 & 94)

Anthony Bourdain, God rest his soul, had his many flaws, but he also has many insights that are so true to everyone who has ever been called into the professional culinary world. We are a breed unto ourselves, and NO ONE who has never been called to this dark world, will ever truly understand the nature of the beast. We are artists, we are rebels, we are visionaries, we are pirates all wrapped up in one. We follow our own rules. We are all a lot of things. But all that really matters to a good chef is “in the end, maybe it is all about the food” after all. (p. 266)

I enjoyed this insight into Anthony Bourdain’s world. I found most of what he had to say true, though there was a lot that I have never seen or experienced. But he does speak to all of us who have ever dared to call ourselves CHEF. His take on the culinary world is universal and speaks to us all, no matter where or what we cook in this world.

Sadly, Anthony Bourdain fell to his demons, and hanged himself with the belt of his bathrobe in France, in 2018. He will always be remembered in the culinary world, as one of the great ones. No matter where you are, make it delicious and make it good.