Introducing… drumroll… Blanche’s Book Club! I have been thinking for a few months that maaaaybe I should join a book club. After all, it would serve as a way to meet people AND read a few books.
But then I realized, finding the right book club actually takes work, and what if they read books that I don’t want to read? Plus, there’s that whole commitment thing, and I’m not really into it.
So, my genius friend was all, “Why don’t you just have your own book club and you pick the books?” Uh, YEAH. So, Blanche is hosting the book club, but we’re only going to read books I approve of.
We’ve already read one book, and it’s up for discussion until I finish reading the next book on my list (which I’ll mention at the end of this post in case you want to read it, too). Did I mention this book club is completely non-committal?
If you want to contribute to the discussion, leave a comment, email me at Holly@thebitterlemon.com, Snap me or DM me @OrangeJulius7 or whatever you have to do. Or, you can send me a book title to read, but I’m not making any promises, folks.
So, the first book of BCC is “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” by Anthony Bourdain.
Even if you’re not a foodie, you may recognize the name from TV: “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” …yes?
Bourdain is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and served as the Executive Chef for many kitchens, but is most well-known for his work at Brasserie Les Halles, which is based in Manhattan.
His book, “Kitchen Confidential” (published in 2000) was wildly popular, and I was really amped when I came across it in the Half Price Books just down the street from my apartment a few weeks ago.
It’s written from the standpoint that, professional kitchens are not a joke and they aren’t often the places we imagine them to be, or see in the movies. According to Bourdain, they are hectic, often unpleasant, and full of characters.
Bourdain has often been pegged as the rebel of the culinary world – he’s not afraid to tell it like it is, and has been known to bash some of the more popular chefs we all know, for not being authentic to the food world.
But, his sense of adventure is why I enjoy watching him! He’ll eat anything, and he’s got an interesting way of looking at the world.
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Bourdain described the first time he had a raw oyster. He was a child, and he ate it as a challenge – he was determined to eat whatever was passed his way. To this day, a raw oyster remains one of Bourdain’s favorite foods.
Because of this, I’ve included a recipe for Grilled Oysters with Spiced Tequila Butter just for you, in case raw oysters aren’t your thing. If you’ve never tried them – you should!
“Kitchen Confidential” became a New York Times Bestseller, and also has a sequel, “Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook“. In 2001, Bourdain was named “Food Writer of the Year” by Bon Appetit Magazine for “Kitchen Confidential”.
While I’ll definitely be adding “Medium Raw” to the BBC reading list, that’s not our next book. Instead, we’ve started reading, “The Liar, The Bitch & The Wardrobe” by Allie Kingsley. It’s a book I’ve had for way too long and it’s time to read it, and report back! We’d love to have you join us, but it’s non-committal, so no pressure.
The Bitter Lemon 