I recently went past the the library, and picked up two books. One was on Deep Learning (the machine version), the other was on cooking. I’ll focus on the second.
I never really watched any of Anthony Bourdain’s many shows, but I did read his best seller, Kitchen Confidential. Now, I have his second best book; his recipes from Les Halles. Les Halles was easily Bourdain’s most famous project; a classic French brassiere based in the heart of NYC. It was packed night after night for decades.
It’s my kind of food, though I’ve never been and it has long since shut down (I think?). Simple French cooking, lots of flavour, unpretentious. All the reviews about the venue was that it had a buzz, was always filled with groups, couples, friends and families having a good time, and the food was very good. Not great. But very good.
Bourdain is very honest about this. He never was awarded any Michelin Stars. He never worked in any of the top restaurants in America or Europe, and I don’t even think he spent that long working in Paris. But as someone with a full time day job and a young family, I’m not making any Michelin starred dishes anytime soon.
It’s part cookbook, part guide. It doesn’t just state the ingredients and steps, it gives advice, tips, primers, and history. It’s written conversationally, with a sense of humor. When was the last time you read an instruction manual like that!
I don’t know what I’ll cook first, but there look like some crackers. I’ll keep you posted.
