Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

Sadly, Anthony Bourdain rests in peace. But thankfully, his "adventures in the culinary underbelly" have really opened our eyes to the challenges, processes, coolness, creativity, and glory that kitchens all over the world really deserve. 

His television shows (No Reservations, The Layover, and Parts Unknown) are among my favorite reality series of all. Each of these productions were combinations of my favorite things - food and travel. Bourdain's narration of his travel and eating adventures are exactly as he wrote Kitchen Confidential - descriptive, intelligent, sarcastic, insightful, empathetic, adventurous, and real. It's the blunt and vivid stories and journeys depicted in both this book and his available-for-all-to-view tv shows that really captivate an audience. 

Reading this book after his tragic death in 2018 has allowed me to re-live the excitement of watching his tv shows in a different way. To finally understand his history and connection with the industries he's highlighted in his illustrious on-screen career have given me a deeper appreciation for what he did and how he did it. 

I look forward to reading his other books, The Last Interview and World Travel: An Irreverent Guide (when it's released), in the near future. 

Check it out on GoodReads.

But it on Amazon

 

The Cookie Monster Wants CAKE?

Is it really unrealistic to have your cake and eat it too?

No, it's not. You can certainly have it. You can certainly eat it. But having it and eating it doesn't mean you will necessarily feel good about it. Nor does it mean that all the results are positive.

Herein lies the dilemma of decision-making.

On the one hand, there's great satisfaction in getting everything you want and indulging in the glory of your hard work, dedication, time spent, and energy exerted. Day in and day out you've starved yourself to develop the best attributes. Sacrifices were made along the way knowing that one day, eventually, you'd prosper in the fashion you've dreamed of. You've built your recipe for success, and when the time comes, the reward should be yours for the taking. If you put your best effort and high grade ingredients into the mix, then why not reap all the benefits all at once, immediately?

Because, on the other hand, allowing oneself to enjoy all the pleasures of what you believe to be victory, getting everything you want at the same time, still has it's consequences. They may not be immediate; they usually kick in after the fact, but you can't hide from the inevitable.

So what do you choose? Satiate your intense, long, drawn out cravings for instant gratification and deal with the repercussions later? Or spoil yourself a little at a time to take on the weight and burden piecemeal knowing that you can balance it out along the way with proper attention and care?

It is not easy to decide. It is frustrating to think about.

I have cake in front of me, and I can't figure out if I should eat it... or pass it up for some cookies over the course of time. (301)

A Poll, Avocados, & Pop Culture

A little over a week ago, I took a poll about my recent avocado spending habits. In an effort to become more engaged with my readers and Twitter audience, I left the survey open for 7 days and got a few responses. Maybe what I should have done is embedded the poll here on my blog as well. I'll do that going forward. In any case, the results are fun and interesting. I'm happy that 67% of poll participants support my cause. I agree with them. I have to say that I enjoy eating guac. For anyone who answered in the negative, why?

I spend $6 per week on avocados / guacamole to eat almost every day. Good idea? Or Bad idea? #food #health #poll

— Jesse Go (@jessereynesgo) October 16, 2017

I've been buying quite a bit of avocados and specifically guacamole to get my Omega-3 fatty acids into my diet, amongst other vitamins and minerals. Surprisingly, the local grocery stores make it fresh nearly everyday. It's about $5-6 give or take for about nearly 1 lb. of the mix of avocados, cilantro, lime, tomato, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Stop and Shop makes it a little on the spicy side, which I like. If I so happen to be at Costco, I'll buy one of the guacamoles they carry too because it's individually packed for 100 calorie intervals. Either way, it's a good deal financially (for now - but it should and will get better) and healthwise.

I wonder why avocados took so long to become so popular in food culture? Maybe it's the high price point for a single piece of the buttery fruit. Hopefully, we can somehow manage to tackle the supply issue to be a closer match to the demand to help prices (on average $2 for a single Haas avocado) come down a bit.

Clearly, it's been widely eaten in Mexico for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. But why has the rise to stardom of this versatile fruit taken so long? Why do I feel as if Millennials and Generation Z started this trend? Actually, I don't think this is going to just be a trend. Similar to alternative and renewable energy, this fruit is now and will continue to be a strong player in the food world. With all the benefits avocados have to offer, it's tough to see it as just a trend. That is, unless global warming and climate change affect the production. (413)

One of my favorite brekkies in Australia - avocado toast or avo toast for short.

Who Cut The Cheese?

I did! Haha...

Two months ago I cut the cheese out of my diet. Initially, I had done it as part of my triathlon training. But after living without it, I realized that I am better off.

Cheese used to be a daily part of my lunchtime sandwiches. But I have since started to use hummus as a replacement for both cheese and mayo/mustard. Not only is it healthier but it also tastes great, as long as you like that Mediterranean flavor. Add a sliced cucumber to that sandwich and it becomes even more refreshing. 

Giving up cheese wasn't as hard as I imagined it would be, mentally. But physically...cheese is in everything (or at least could be). Just think of how many different types of cheese there are and all the combinations of food that goes well with cheese. Cheese is a binding element. It can unify the components of a particular dish. And it brings people together...around a pizza or fondue.

In a lot of ways, cheese and I are similar. We're found all over the world. We're fatty. We're smooth. And we get along with everyone...

But I've come to break that bond with cheese, and my digestive system, heart, and arteries thank me.

It's too bad this is off the table now...

Internet-less Underground

NYC's intricate subterranean rail system has been lacking something for a long time. For a city at the forefront of development, our subway lacks what other major cities already have... Wi-Fi and cellphone service.

Why?

Is it because the wealthy of NYC don't even make use of this form of transportation? The rich all have the luxury to ride above-ground, and all taxis have live content. Do they not believe in investing in the people "below" them?

Is it because there are too many potential users that the bandwidth would be eaten up and cause slow transmissions?

Is it because the current infrastructure is unable to accommodate new technology?

Do antenna lack the ability to transmit signal below ground? How do they do it in the Lincoln Tunnel?

Or does the cost outweigh the benefit?

I know the MTA is making progress with the help of Google and Transit Wireless by providing Wi-Fi in some of the stations nowadays, but is that really enough for the tech-savy city? Shouldn't it be available on all the subway cars?

They say all 277 underground stations will have Wi-Fi by 2017... but shouldn't we be beyond this by that time? What will be the latest and greatest technology in 2017? Will our subways once again become outdated and trail modern civilization? Shouldn't we be thinking about how to stay leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else?

After-all, isn't this the greatest city in the world?