Reading: The Kitchen
I’m currently reading THE KITCHEN by Nicolas Freeling. I discovered the book in Anthony Boudain’s THE NASTY BITS and decided to track it down to read it. This is a 1970’s hardback edition of the book. It feels old, smells a little musty, and enchants you the moment you pick it up and touch the yellowish cover. Bourdain also mentioned DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON, HOTEL BEMELMANS, and FLASH IN THE PAN. I’ve been able to locate copies of all of them except for FLASH IN THE PAN. Even contacting the author resulted in no luck, so I’m in search for a copy of it!
Hi Drew! I’ve been lurking for a while on your site and just wanted to let you know that the bookclub I’ve started on my site is reading both The Nasty Bits AND Heat for September. This month we’re reading Garlic and Sapphires. Pop by for a bit of cooking and discussion and such if you like!
Also, I wanted to say that you’ve completely inspired me and added the final push I needed to go back to school for my culinary training. I’m starting back in September and hopefully I’ll make it a successful transition over the next two years…
Eric…
Thanks for your post on my blog. I appreciate your participation.
If you’ve read any Bourdain in the past, you’ll find some of THE NASTY BITS to be familiar. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as stellar as I was hoping, sad to say. One thing to be aware of — maybe alert your book club — Bourdain provides brief commentary on each-and-every essay at the back of the book (a fact I overlooked as I read). If I were editing his work, I would have included the commentary at the beginning of each essay as a means of setting the scene. I suggest flipping to the back of the book and reading the commentary before reading each essay. If your book club chooses to do the same, I think they will enjoy the book more.
I am looking forward to reading HEAT, which I picked up on a lark at the bookstore when I saw it.
I’m currently reading THE KITCHEN from Nicolas Freeling and enjoying it. I’m not far into it yet; I got a couple chapters in at lunch today (on the days I eat lunch by myself, it’s usually me, a cooking-related book, and a cooking-related magazine at the table!) and look forward to plowing through more of it soon. It’s got that expansive, excessive style that I both adore and loathe in old works. I’m hoping to finish it before we go to Mexico on vacation in early September.
Eric, I am very pleased and humbled that I had some small influence on your decision to go to culinary school. It’s been an amazing (and fattening — I’m up about 50 pounds from when I started!) experience, taking me to places I never thought I’d go (like working in the kitchen of a 4-star restaurant here in Cincinnati) and teaching me amazing stuff I’d never have learned on my own. Work VERY hard — harder than any of the young punks (heh) in your class — and you’ll very quickly rise to the top with your chefs. That means more work, more responsibilities, more rewards, more opportunities, and more education.