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

 

Ugly Delicious

Ugly Delicious is a new Netflix series that I started watching recently and is worth watching for foodies and non-foodies alike. It's a great mashup of different perspectives of chefs, culinary writers, actresses, actors, entertainers, home cooks, and anyone else Dave Chang seems to have a connection with/to. I mean, he is one of the most famous restauranteurs in America (see: Momofuku), so I guess that shouldn't be surprising. (Side note: still need to eat at one of his restaurants.)

The documentary series covers a variety of dishes / foods on an individual basis (dedicated episodes) filled with opinions, history, and often times deep conversations about who, what, when, where, why, and how these foods started, evolved, and what it's future may be. I enjoy Chang's curiosity and ability to ask difficult questions. I applaud him for being so outgoing and dedicated to the ever-evolving / innovative craft of the culinary arts.

The connection between food and geography is also highlighted, making this double-y interesting for me with my passions for travel and food. From local to regional to international, the taste comparisons and impressions from the world 'round are bound to make you hunger and salivate.

I've enjoyed the series so far. And I think many of you might too. It's very creative and well produced.

Check out the trailer here:

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.

Time Flies When You're Having FUN!

Life just seems to move at the speed of Usain Bolt.

In the spirit of the 2016 Olympics, here's a recap of the past year of events in pictures and video.


May 22, 2015 - we got MARRIED!

July 2015 - We went to Hawaii to attend a wedding and turned it into another fun vacation!

September 2015 - Hung out in The Bay area with some friends, stomped on some grapes, and ate at The French Laundry.

October 2015 - Went to The World Series - Game 5 and rooted for the New York Mets. Unfortunately they fell short and lost the series at home to the Kansas City Royals.

December 2015 - Started our trip in Buenos Aires, Argentina to eat some steak, drink some wine, and check out some tango.

And then we embarked on the journey of a lifetime to the end of the Earth... Antarctica! We hung out with penguins, seals, whales, a variety of birds, and met new people on the voyage!

March 2016 - a couple more weddings locally this month for some dear friends of ours, and my yearly trip to Miami. I got to see a Miami Heat game, and I tacked on a Mets spring training game. Not a bad month. 

May 2016 - Kampai! Yet another wonderful trip. This time to the land of the rising sun, JAPAN! This was a fun-filled experience for us as we got to travel with friends again. Every night was something new, was something delicious, was an experience to remember. Our minds were blown. Our hearts were filled with joy. And our stomachs were filled with sushi! But none better than from this guy...

June 2016 - Carolyn ran the Boston 10K. And we spent time with some friends who ran with her. 

July 2016 - was a packed month for us. Carolyn went to Nashville to celebrate one of her closest friend's bachelorette party. The next weekend we celebrated Carolyn's birthday in Philadelphia. Then we spent time in the Finger Lakes in upstate NY with Kirby the weekend after that. And then we flew to Dallas for my brother, Dave's engagement party the last weekend of the month! There was something going on every single weekend. It was tiring, but it was worth it. 

And now we're here... and on we go... 

Can I keep up this time?