Reddit reviews Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)
We found 24 Reddit comments about Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Great product!
He is also a really good writer. His book, Kitchen Confidential is just so incredibly honest and forthright. I really connected with Anthony Bourdain after reading the book.
Well... yeah. That pretty much his claim to fame.
Short answer is that I don't know. A lot of it is history I think. In the old days, cook was a rock bottom position for ex soldiers and ex (hopefully) criminals. It was people who couldn't get jobs anywhere else. While the romanticism of the profession has grown thanks mostly to reality TV, it's still a place for refugees. You get a lot of people who have seen a lot of shit, for whom something like "quit fiddling with your balls and get me a chicken parm on the fly!" isn't going to hit them the way it would hit Diane from accounting.
About 2/3rds of the crew I work with (both front of and back of house) are recovering drug addicts. Five of them used to live in their cars, one of them still does. Most of them have been married, multiple times, I think only two of them still are still with their married partners. All the BOH are completely socially inept and the only leg up FOH has on them is that they've learned to fake it for the customers. Fake humping someone (as long as you're not groping) while they're bent over scrubbing under the griddle is probably just on the edge of what's considered inappropriate. And by on the edge, I mean just barely okay.
It was a shock to me, coming from the world I started my career in. But more shocking was finding out that it's not just the kitchen I ended up in.
I hate to use terms like "serious harassment" because all harassment is serious. It's only one step down from something as offensive as "legitimate rape". I also know more than well enough that harassment is in the eye of the victim. In fortune 500 land, I've seen people fired for doing things I found perfectly okay that someone else thought was harassing to themselves. But the people you're more likely to find in kitchens are the kind of people who are less likely to find anything offensive, and it creates that kind of environment.
I don't know if it's better or worse. I wasn't a big fan of the fear and self-censorship that went on back in office-land. And as a fairly trolly woman, I like the fact that I find that anything I'd do or say myself is well on the side of okay in terms of kitchen appropriateness, despite some of it being clearly not so in office-land. But I can also totally imagine someone who's not expecting it to find it to be a very harassing environment.
If you're really curious about the depths and history of the environment, shell out 12 bucks for Anthony Bourdain's book. https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Updated-Adventures-Underbelly/dp/0060899220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484289595&sr=8-1&keywords=kitchen+confidential
It won't tell you why it's the way it is, but it'll certainly give you a better idea of what the way it is actually is and maybe a jumping off point for more research and more pointed questions.
His book Kitchen Confidential is a good read.
A pretty average New York chef who wrote several books about his experiences. His third book, Kitchen Confidential, became a cult hit based mostly on his 'no bullshit' descriptions of the service industry. It is one part autobiography, one part advice column (explaining for instance why you should never order fish on a Monday or go to a Sunday brunch), and one part philosophical screed (talking openly about sex, drugs, alcoholism, gender, race, and crime).
His notoriety from the book landed him a series of TV shows. The second of these shows, No Reservations, gained him a minor level of fame in the US. The show's popularity (among a certain audience) came largely from it's brilliant cinematography. Each episode is filmed in a different 'style' befitting the location and food. This is mixed with a propensity to visit dangerous locations and try exotic foods / experiences.
Now-a-day's Bourdain along with his crew from no reservations are doing essentially the same show on CNN (this time called Parts Unknown). The show does well among men aged 25-54 with either some college or a bachelor's degree. Unsurprisingly these demographics tend to line up with reddit's own so he's pretty popular on this site.
If you want to learn more:
Kitchen Confidential is actually a great read.
His talk at google gives a pretty good insight to his personality.
And if you're interested in filmography you should watch this talk from the producer of his show.
Ah, he's totally emulating Anthony Bourdain!
Read. Read a lot. Reading can help prevent you from making dumb decisions in the future by learning about what problems lie ahead. Owning your own restaurant is not easy. It's really really hard. Celebs, millionaires, etc. fail on the reg trying to open up restaurants. The most you'll ever make working for a restaurant in management is $50k a year unless you have a trick up your sleeve that lands you a sweet gig (sommelier training, chef experience, connections, etc.). You also have to have a serious passion for pleasing people and hospitality. You put in hard hours for someone to be like "ew, this isnt what I want. You're inferior. You're bad at your job. Gross." Seriously, you get more respect in the military. But if you are a sick fuck who wants to try it. Be my guest. I was/am. There are some really cool aspects to it: you meet some crazy people, get to eat delicious food and drink great wine. But a lot of people cant take the stress for the more than a few years and resort to alcoholism or worse. It's difficult to explain restaurant management stress. It's like you're walking in the park and everything is perfect. Birds are singing and shit and then you see your dream girl coming towards you then BAM someone sucker punches you in the dick, she starts laughing at you, you're suddenly naked and everyone joins in the mockery.
Anyways. Read this: Setting The Table and this: Kithchen Confidential, BEFORE you even touch this dick stroking sensation: The Art of The Restaurateur. Read this shit before you lock yourself in to any deals. I'm serious. You'll thank me. Fuck these bus boys need to finish mopping the bar so I can go home and dream about P&Ls.
Whether it is actually better or not, that's highly debatable and according to taste. But the cuisine in London/ UK is not neglectable and has a very rich background.
One of the most influential chefs in the world such as Heston Blumenthal (which is largely inspired by Harold McGee, an American), Marco Pierre White (he partly wrote modern cuisine, also an awesome person to hear) and Michel Roux (both senior as junior) have worked their careers in the UK. Each of them have defined a part of cooking/ cuisine in their way.
Not to forget the Commonwealth as well indeed, which brought a lot to the UK.
Really been watching too much MasterChef UK/ Australia and to one of my cooking teachers who really loves to read about history/ science of food. Then again, it's awesome to hear and to know as food is a way of sharing love, express your creativity and bonds and is such an important aspect of our lives/ society/ culture.
Some books which are awesome and I also have in my collection are:
Honestly, couldn't forget the latter of course.
I am a professional chef and while watching people prepare food is entertaining and sometimes also educating I actually recommend you to buy books and learn the basics first.
You can then use youtube pretty well in order to watch how to do specific things, like i.e. deboning a whole chicken for a gallantine, or how to trim certain pieces of meat.
Start with french cuisine. Once you have understood how things are connected you'll actually understand everything else.
If you want something simple and entertaining for the start I'd choose Anthony Bourdaine's Les Halles Cookbook. It's amusingly written and the recipes are fairly easy and they are all legit.
Then there is Paul Bocus. Living legend with three long-term girlfriends.
And of course you want to have Escoffier at your home. Doesn't get much more classic than that.
If you want to get a sense of what drives a top notch chef, watch In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumethal. Very very good stuff.
And finally, if you want to learn something about culinary history I highly highly recommend Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany and to learn about our lifes as a chef you need to read the (admittedly exaggerated) autobiographicly Kitchen Confidential by Bourdain.
All this provided, you won't learn cooking without actually doing it.
Edit: Depending on your budget, I also heavily recommend Alain Ducasse's Grand Livre de Cuisine.
What are your top five must-own books?
Mine, in no real order are:
(I'll put in links when I get home)
edit: with amazon links
I realize that these two stories are just anecdotes to you, and you will probably never change your mind that drugs are bad man, but I'm also basing my opinion on working for over 20 years in the F&B business. I've worked behind line, waited tables, bussed, parked cars, dish dogged, tended bar, and managed front of the house. I've known both people that used alcohol and weed (and coke) to get through a shift, and those who did not. In my experience, drugs and alcohol use had very little to do with whether someone was useful in a kitchen or not.
If you are at all interested in what a crappy job it really is, you should read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly sometime. It's a pretty no-holds-barred look at working in a restaurant in NYC in the late 80's - early 90's. It's changed some, but not all that much.
*Edited to fix link to book
> never test for drugs.
After reading Kitchen Confidential this makes too much sense to me, otherwise they would have an even higher employee turnover.
At the very least, read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. I'm serious, there's nothing that could scare the shit out of you more than this book, and if you still are eager to go into the kitchen professionally, then by all means do it. (Also there's a fair bit of good advice about culinary school versus work experience.)
http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Updated-Edition-Adventures/dp/0060899220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344405232&sr=8-1&keywords=kitchen+confidential
If you want, message me and I'll send you a copy, it's on me. :-)
Atul Gawande - Better, Complications, and checklist manifesto.
Sandeep Jauhar - Intern
Jerome Groopman - How doctor's think
Michael Collins - Hot lights, cold steel and Blue collar, blue scrubs
Samuel Shem - House of God
Brian Eule - Match day
Paul Ruggieri - Confessions of a surgeon
Emily R. Transue - On call
Okay so I was in the same position you are in right now. I wanted to read as much as I could because I truly found it fascinating. I read these books and I'm glad I did. These books just give you an idea of how hard doctors work and what the life of a doctor is like. Another recommendation is Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. It has nothing to do with medicine but I read it and I think you should too. He talks about the life of a chef and how perfection and long long hours are demanded of him. I feel like there are some overlaps between the different settings. Chef/doctor and Restaurant/hospital. Anyways, This list should last you a long time. Hope you enjoy.
Edit: Added links.
READ THIS
Read the old Bourdain book.
Ok, since no one has mentioned it yet, I feel compelled to recommend you read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain, if you haven't already. Of course all experiences are different, but it paints a pretty vivid picture of what real kitchens are like (or at least were a few years ago). I love food and cooking as well and considered becoming a chef, but this book persuaded me otherwise. However, I think there are plenty of people that that lifestyle appeals to, so might as well check it out. Bourdain is also an entertaining writer, so if anything, you should just read it purely for fun and the love of food. (oh look, they released an updated version)
Technology related would for sure be The Cuckoo's Egg, and Ghost in the Wires
Not tech related, Junky, American Psycho, and Kitchen Confidential
Ramsay explains why well done steaks are bad in the YouTube video...but if that's not enough, you might want to read Kitchen Confidential if you're at all interested in learning what cooks and chefs think of well done steaks.
The short of it: By overcooking the steak, you remove all juiciness and tenderness of a good cut of beef. Beef is carefully raised and graded according to the level of fat distributed throughout the meat. When the steak is cooked correctly (medium to medium-rare) the proteins and carbohydrates on the outside of the steak caramelize and develop delicious flavor while the fat melts and becomes a carrier for the amazing steak-y goodness. The inside of the steak warms slightly but you still have enough intact proteins that you actually taste the beef.
With a well-done steak, you loose that contrast between the inside and outside of the steak and the caramelization process will have gone on too long on the outside giving you burnt charcoal instead of sublime flavor.
If you haven't tried a steak cooked medium or medium-rare, you should. I don't think you'll go back to ruined meat ever again.
[Kitchen Confidential] (https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Updated-Adventures-Underbelly/dp/0060899220) by [Anthony Bourdain] (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain)
I read this on Kindle on through their Lending Library (it might still be on there) and loved it. It's a great look inside kitchens and Bourdain is a good writer.
Edit: inserted title and author
I have a couple of books that are used and under $1, though I'd really like Kitchen Confidential.
The most random/interesting phrase/sentence I have ever heard in my life.: "I was in debate club so I'm used to sleeping next to random people."
read this
I believe this is artsy, I enjoy him very much as an author.
I thought the same thing when I was 22-26. Then I got older and the lifestyle wore on me. If you haven't read Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, do so. It may make you reconsider.