A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
by Anthony Bourdain
The author of Kitchen Confidential has done it again! I know Bourdain has a new book out (Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook), but I'm a bit behind the times so I picked up a copy of A Cook's Tour on the cheap. It was fantastic. If you're new to Bourdain he's the no-hold's-barred chef at NYC's Les Halles turned bestselling author. It's an unlikely match for me to enjoy Bourdain as much as I do. I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian and Bourdain is largely carnivorous - and abhors the thought of vegetarianism. However, I can't help but love the attitude he brings to his books. Bourdain is passionate about food and sticks to his convictions. This we have in common. A Cook's Tour follows Bourdain on a whirlwind tour of Mexico, France, the Basque country, Russia, Morocco, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc., etc. allowing you to be right there with him. A Cook's Tour is an adventure story from the beginning. Flying around the world and eating anything he's ever wanted to try, Bourdain describes all of his meals in detail that let's you almost taste the cilantro in his soup. The book does have it's tearjerker moments - his trip to France with his brother and his first experiences in Saigon had the tears almost rolling for me. Other times you're laughing out loud when he has to ride a horse in Mexico or act 'not drunk' walking into a restaurant for his TV show on the food network. For an excellent chef to write such an intriguing book is rare indeed (Julie Child pulled it off, but I can't think of many others) so dig in and enjoy, maybe after a nice meal.
