Book Review- Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential

Last spring, I read Patrick Radden Keefe’s Rogues, which has a chapter about Anthony Bourdain. Of course, I have heard of Bourdain, and I’ve watched bits of his various television shows. He was brash and charismatic, also a bit mysterious. I realized that I had never read his famous memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

In Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain shares his passion for food and his early experiences working as a chef in New York. Although Bourdain was well-known for his culinary travel shows, he had very little travel experience until later in life. Reading Kitchen Confidential, it is clear that working as a chef is an all-consuming experience with very little time to rest or travel. Travel came when he made a career shift from chef to a writer and television presenter.

I’ve never worked in the restaurant industry, although I had a glimpse via my ex-husband who worked as a server at a moderately fancy Italian restaurant. I was aware of the lingo and some of the general gripes, and that people in the industry are incredibly hard working. Be kind and tip generously! That said, Bourdain provides a fascinating look at the restaurant industry, dishing out his own thoughts on things to order and what to keep an eye out for when dining. He is very anti-brunch and provides a decent reason for why one should avoid it. I was crushed when he gave advice to steer clear of my favorite food, swordfish. I have not had swordfish since reading Kitchen Confidential. I will spare you the details, but the reason is quite stomach churning.

Lewd encounters, rampant drug use, and shocking reveals aside, Kitchen Confidential is marvelous because of Bourdain’s keen writing abilities. I’ve never eaten Bourdain’s food and he may have been a fantastic chef, but I know for certain that he had a talent for writing. His flair for the dramatic and sensory storytelling plops readers into the middle of the scene. Bourdain’s direct and frank manner of writing, similar to his media persona, makes it feel like he is having a personal conversation with the reader and I suspect this aspect of his personality is what made him so magnetic. This is not a chef who is writing a memoir, but a writer sharing his life. I throughly enjoyed Kitchen Confidential, both for the insight into the chaotic restaurant industry and for a bit of time in Bourdain’s company.

Book Review- Ross Gay's The Book of Delights

Thank you to Algonquin Books for an advance copy of Ross Gay’s essay collection, The Book of Delights.

Poet and essayist Ross Gay created a challenge for himself, he would spend a year writing one short essay per day on something that delighted him. He began on his birthday and used this exercise to remind himself of all the wondrous and intriguing aspects of our world.

Some of the essays do enter the realm of true delight. My favorite was Gay recounting the surprising reaction he received when he hand carried a tomato plant on a flight. People that noticed his plant reacted with a sweetness and protectiveness, almost as if he had a baby with him. I was smiling while reading this and thinking about how unexpected things, like someone carrying a plant on an airplane, do bring delight. I also delighted in his story about the joys of licking the spills off of a cup, noting that the action might be odd to some. Gay’s quirky observations and habits are endearing.

Gay reacts and engages with the world around him and sometimes this means that the daily essay takes a more serious tone, such as Gay’s experiences as a black man in the United States. Although I find the idea of focusing on delights to be, for lack of a better word, delightful, the book is the better for its honest approach to weighty topics. As a white woman my experiences in America are dramatically different from Gay’s experiences and I think it’s important to hear his perspective. Gay’s project is also an reminder to actively engage with the world around us and with our emotions towards events in the world.

The Book of Delights is fantastic. I love the wide scope of subjects and emotions that are encapsulated in this collection. Gay’s writing made it feel like he was talking directly to me, so familiar and warm. I want to invite him over to my house for dinner! This collection is my first time reading Gay’s work and I look forward to reading more. I typically giveaway any books that I have already read, but this one will be taking up residence on my bookshelf in anticipation of a future revisit. It’s that good!

Book Review- Tyler Feder's Dancing at the Pity Party: a Dead Mom Graphic Memoir

I work at a bookstore and a few weeks ago, I was shelving, when I came across Tyler Feder’s book, Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir. I opened it up and within a quick scan, I knew that I both needed to read it, and needed to immediately put it down until I was in the comfort of my own home.

I purchased the book and waited until my husband was away on business, knowing that it would be a heavy read. Nothing quite prepared me for Feder’s beautiful and raw memoir about the passing of her mother. Feder was nineteen when her mom passed from cancer and the memoir details the experience of her both her mother’s illness and her passing, along with intimate family memories.

I don’t think that I have had a literary experience quite like this, one that had me sobbing for the duration and one that I related to so intensely. I also lost my mom to cancer, although I was thirty, so a bit older than Feder. However, my dad died when I was four, so I can relate to losing a parent when still a child. The aspect that rang the most true was the awkwardness of the entire situation and having emotions bubble up at unexpected times. Also the sadness and strangeness of seeing your mom become physically and mentally transformed by illness. It’s just horrible. Feder offers some good advice to how one should behave around people experiencing loss and illness, things to say or avoid.

Beyond my personal relatability to Feder’s situation, I also enjoyed meeting her family through the pages. I’m an only child and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards Feder’s relationship with her sisters. This entire book is such a lovely tribute to Feder’s mom and really, her entire family. I enjoyed Feder’s art work, but I was also happy that she included family photographs at the end. I truly felt an intimate connect to their family thought this graphic novel. It’s really beautiful.

Speaking of graphic novels. I had not read any prior to 2022, but this year I have made an effort to branch out with non-fiction graphic novels and I’ve really enjoyed them. The visual aspect makes me feel like I’m at an art exhibition and I like being able to experience the whole piece in a single sitting. I’ve been very impressed with this medium as a form of storytelling, especially for memoir. It’s impactful.

I think everyone should read Dancing at the Pity Party. Yes, it’s emotional and sad. The morning after I read it, I looked like I had been in a battle. My eyes were so swollen from crying. However, it is also funny, hopeful, and full of heart. It’s a great choice for those grieving or caretaking. My mom has been dead for nearly fifteen years and even after all of this time, I still found Feder’s book to be healing. I think this would be a great mother’s day present for someone who has lost their mother. That particular holiday can be so fraught for many. I would have loved to have received this and then, I would have promptly burst into tears!