Nasty Bits

This week I read Anthony Bourdain's "The Nasty Bits". Essentially it is a compilation of Bourdain's articles (published and unpublished) that he has written about his life in and out of the kitchen. I admit I am a big fan of the traveler and chef and I often watch his show on the Travel Channel, so when I saw this book at the store I had to see if he is as honest in print as he is in front of the camera.

I had nothing to worry about. Bourdain is funny and means everything he says. The articles ranged from his experiences traveling to the glorification of his beloved New York City. The man describes food in such a way that one can't help but drool all over the page. When you read some of his descriptions you understand why the term "food porn" was invented.

My favorite part of the whole collection was the commentary located in the back of the book. Since some of the articles were written years ago Bourdain included a sort of "what I was thinking" paragraph about each article. For some articles he even tells the readers he has done an about face from what he had previously written. It takes a big man to admit that his opinions have changed with time.

While the articles and the flow of the book were great, I felt that Bourdain was holding back. We all see him as the sarcastic ex-addict turned chef and traveler, but only a sentence or two went beyond the public persona.

If you would like to read "The Nasty Bits" by Anthony Bourdain, you can find it at Barnes and Noble or at your local library.