ISSUE #6: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Chef at New York’s Les Halles, author and acerbic television host, Bourdain pulls no punches in this memoir of his years in the restaurant business. His wry wit, penchant for foul language, unabashed honesty about his own demons and joy in pulling kitchen pranks make for a good read. Underneath it all, his sincere love of good cooking and well prepared food shines.

To illustrate, Bourdain’s advice to aspiring chefs is this: ”Show up at work on time six months in a row and we’ll talk about red curry paste and lemon grass. Until then, I have four words for you: Shut the fuck up.”