On meeting Anthony Bourdain by Karen Gros I went to the Fayetteville Public Library last month to hear Anthony Bourdain speak. Having no television myself, I have never seen his Travel Network TV show entitled No Reservations, nor read any of his books. Being a culinary enthusiast, however, I had heard of him ~ but not necessarily very positively, things like…he smokes while he cooks, uses profanity, and is insulting. So, I didn't necessarily expect to like him. When we appeared at the library, we were given the chance to purchase his books in order to have them signed on the spot that night. I glanced through the choices, not feeling particularly drawn to any ~ least of all his Les Halles Cookbook, as I already have many French cookbooks that I love and refer to often for these kinds of classics.
Once inside the pre-event cocktail party, I noticed that the appetizers provided were seemly authentic French recipes, such as Pâté de Lapin and Rillettes de Porc. I found myself looking around for him. A star chef, after all, is intriguing to anyone interested in food…and he's a French chef, after all. (I'm ashamed to admit that I knew so little about him that I just assumed that he actually was French. After addressing him as Monsieur Bourdain, I only found out later that he is every bit as American as I.) Fortunately, he took it in stride and went on to accommodate my request for restaurant recommendations in Paris and to pose with me for a photo.
Alas, his talk was to begin. The 400+ people were finally seated in the library's vast research center, with another 200 people out in the lobby preparing to watch the talk on monitors. Tony was introduced and began to speak in a way that instantly captivated me (and the rest of the audience, as well). Yes, he was brash, even shocking (beer in hand at every moment), stating that if you cook with only filet mignon, truffle oil, and boneless-skinless chicken breasts, then you're not a real cook. He says that a real cook is someone who can take the shank and, using physics and chemistry (ie. real cooking), turn that shank into a tender, succulent piece of heaven. How true, how true! Over and over again he refers to what he calls “the crippling affliction of affluence” stating that cooks are born not of wealth, but of survival and necessity. How did one of France 's most famous delicacies come to pass? Escargots were originally the food of a very poor and very desperate farmer. This rings deeply true for me, having discovered my own culinary wherewithal after being cut-off from the world of high quality restaurants when living in the middle of nowhere on a farm in Carroll County, Arkansas. I found myself recreating dishes from favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, as well as recipes I learned from relatives in France. French “home cooking,” in the truest sense of the word, cannot be matched. I had to recreate everything from a “taste & visual” memory. Having my husband, Patrice, as the live-in food critique ensured that I was kept on track.
Tony is fed up with the chicken breast, salmon, steak trio that is everywhere you turn. He uses the whole animal, many different animals, and has no mercy for vegetarians…. It was astonishing to hear him refer to them as spineless wimps who are being rude when traveling to a foreign country by snubbing local food offered them, and then humorously point out that every vegetarian who has ever worked for him seemed to have a perpetual cold. Surely he couldn't know how many vegetarians were in the audience? But the truth is, he didn't care. While his insensitivity made me cringe, it's hard not to admire someone with such passionate convictions that they never, ever censor themselves ~ no matter what. More insults, although seemingly justified, were directed toward the Food Network, Rachel Ray, and some of the other network “chefs,” (or so-called, as he says.) The Food Network apparently didn't appreciate his international (particularly Asian) interest, and wanted him to focus solely on America …tail gate parties, 12 different ways to do barbeque, etc. That's when he quit. He and his crew packed up and solicited their show to other networks. The show, No Reservations, now airs Monday nights on the Travel network.
Fast forward to the end of my evening when I fell asleep ~ book on my face ~ reading Les Halles Cookbook (offered to me by the library, as it turns out, as a gift for our donation). It thrilled me from the very first page. Recipes asides, it's an excellent read ~ funny, creative and engaging, once you get used to the strong language. I'll be forever grateful to the information preceding the recipes. Unlike any other cookbook author, he ingeniously presents the concept, in no uncertain terms, of kitchen organization and time management… with particular attention to “ mis-en-place,” having all ingredients at the ready. True to my own belief and practice, he also emphasizes home-made stocks as the very foundation of cooking. Stocks are the mother of all good things to come…savory soups, stuffings and fillings, and ~ the essence of French cooking ~ sauces and glazes. Speaking of sauce, from stock one can make demi-glace. What's not to love about that? |
