Books: Kitchen Confidential

Anthony Bourdain writes the behind-the-scenes account of a chef’s life based on his experiences. In a book which is divided into parts styled as a dinner course, Anthony explains to the reader how he was fascinated by food, how he decided to become a chef and the hardships he had to go through in attaining this goal. This book is not a autobiography. Instead it is a peek into the kitchen and also the mind of a chef. Anthony, without using a well defined structure, takes us through a whirlwind tour of the kitchen, the various actors, tools. In the process, he also shares insider secrets.

The narrative surprises you by catching you unaware where it is leading to. The book initially explains interestingly through how Anthony fell in love with food. Then suddenly he jumps into what a foodie should eat or not eat on certain days of the week bringing into light the practices of many restaurants. He also gives tips on how to stock a kitchen in an economical way. Then he jumps into the quirkiness of the people manning the kitchen and their lingo. He then makes the reader peek into the mind of a chef during one of the busy days using first person narrative.

It is a little bit of everything or everything in bit size. The chapters will jolt you; not because of the content but the way the direction changes without a warning. But at the end of the book, you will have a good insight into the industry where stress levels are high, supply chain management is crucial and attrition a curse.

If you are interested in knowing more about chefs and kitchens, this is for you. If you are looking for recipes, this is not the book. So, put this down immediately

Tags: Books,Anthony Bourdain,Chef