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1
INSIDE THE BRAIN
OF BOURDAIN
RAW SPECIAL GUEST ISSUE: ANTHONY BOURDAIN
2
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
A NOTE FROM THE GUEST
EDITOR
3
CONTENTS
I know what you are thinking, “what
does this guy know about designing
a publication? Doesn’t he just travel
around the world eating food and
complaining about things?” And you
are right. I don’t know anything about
designing a publication and I do infact
travel around the world “complaining”
about everything, but isn’t that the fun
of this whole thing? Trying something
new? Something you have never expe-
rienced and taking the best out of the
worst? It would be boring have the same
people doing the same thing over and
over again. I’m here to throw a wrench in
this system.
Now, I am a writer and chef, so that isn’t
to say that I don’t know anything about
how to compose something in a unique
way to make it appealing to someone,
but this is definitely foreign territory. Which is something I embrace and you should too.
I am not trying to tell you what to do (ok,
maybe I am), but just give this issue a
shot and if you don’t like it, fine, we can
both move on to bigger and better things,
but we can both at least say we tried.
That being said, I wanted to approach
this task from the angle of “use what
you know;” and that I most certainly did.
I centered the content around what af-
fects me the most and what ultimately
affects all of us in the long run. The
aspects of life that are ever present that
all of us have experienced, hopefully, at
some point in our short lives.
Taking a look at the diagram below, you
can see all that the issue entails and how,
as said before, they all come together. I
started with the thing that I am engaged
in the most currently: travel. I can only
hope that my experiences from traveling
around the world will influence any of
you to get out there and explore cultures
beyond your own and make yourselves
uncomfortable. After all, life itself is
rarely comfortable. The next aspect is
something near and dear to me, but you
will have to flip through to find out that
one (and you wont be disappointed).
I rounded out the issue with my first
passion of food and a little description of
how I arrived to where I am now provided
by my friend Euan Ferguson. Hopefully,
the fruits of my labor are appreciated. If not, just go ahead and use this issue as the collector for your dog’s crap.
4
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
TRAVEL CHANGES
YOU
For the past five or so years I have been
living out of suitcases, enjoying the com-
fort of a less than luxurious hotel bed, and
experiencing sicknesses and pain that I
would not wish upon anyone, friend or
enemy. Oddly enough, I wouldn’t change
anything; these experiences of travel and
culture have made me what I am today. It is
for that reason that I share a few words on
travel, hoping that you will get out there
and experience the world and find some-
thing out about yourself in the process.
Travel changes people for the better. The
more you walk around in another person’s
shoes, the more you’ve seen of the world,
the better a person you are. If I can convince
somebody who’s got the money to do it, the
freedom to do it, and if one of our shows
has inspired them to, then sure. I hear it a
lot. People come up to me a lot and say, “I
went to Vietnam, and I tracked down some
of the same business that you ate at and I
had a good time.” Sure. That makes me hap-
py. I grew up with books and movies and I
dreamed of seeing places like those I’d read
about. It’s unimaginable to me that people
wouldn’t yearn for a peek at the other side
of the world, an undiscovered beach, a tiny
little food stall that serves the perfect bowl
of noodles.
If you see how other people live – particu-
larly when people who come from very
5
AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THIS LIFE AND THIS WORLD, YOU CHANGE THINGS SLIGHTLY; YOU LEAVE MARKS BEHIND, HOWEVER SMALL AND IN RETURN, LIFE - AND TRAVEL - LEAVES MARKS ON YOU.”
“
TRAVEL
people live, how hard their lives are…how
different – and how similar. To see a Saudi
family behind closed doors…to get drunk
with Vietnamese rice farmers…presumably
expands one’s horizons and level of tolerance.
I choose locations based on books I read,
movies I’ve seen, the recommendations of
chef friends, idle bar room conversations.
If you meet someone who’s been living
abroad and traveling for decades at the
Heart of Darkness Bar in Phnom Penh and
they tell you that Belem de Para is the most
awesome place they’ve ever been – that’s
worth making note of. Of course, my moti-
vation is professional. I make travel televi-
sion after all.
different backgrounds, with very different
belief systems are kind and hospitable to
you, particularly when they have few means
to do so – or their generosity comes at great
cost. To be the recipient of random acts of
kindness from strangers, to see how other
But really? It’s all about me. The TV show is
just an excuse. My network enables me to
do what I always dreamed of doing. Often,
I choose locations based on the “look” of a
place – the notion that I can copy the cin-
ematography of a film I loved and return
home having helped “make” something
beautiful and thought provoking.
Lastly, don’t forget about trying to local
food of where ever you are traveling. This
may be a biased tip considering that is
what my show is about, but seriously, if
you miss the local and street food experi-
ence, you have missed everything there is
about that place. Street food is the best of a
country – and strangely, much safer for you
than the spaghetti bolognese at the Hilton.
Sure, there is always risk in eating the street
food, but that is part of the experience.
Expand your food horizons to uncomfort-
able bounds. If you are going to travel well,
you’ve got to eat well.
6
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
”
“
SUMMER 2011
7
Ah, the local dive bar. Perhaps one of my
favorite places on earth. Unpretentious,
dirty, cheap, and completely bursting with
personality. It is always one of objectives
where ever I happen to be to find this local
watering hole where stories, much like the
drinks, are constantly flowing. Sure, the
place is grimey and it smells of toilet clean-
er and vomit, but this is where memories
are made, friendships are formed, and lives
are changed. It has always been a dream of
mine to open a dive. If I could, these are the
guidlines I would follow.
SPECIAL INTEREST
8
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
WHAT CAN I SAY, I HAppEN TO BE AN AFICIONADO OF THE DIVE BAR ”
“
9
Now, these aren’t the set in stone rules
for starting and maintaining a dive bar,
but these are just a few things that I (and
my liver) have noticed in my many nights
spent in the dark underbelly of any city’s
bar scene. Also, of course a dive bar cannot
simply be set up automatically; that would
be like opening a restaurant like TGI Fridays
and claiming that all the random crap on
the walls is authentic and has been there
for years before the restuarant even came
around. The essence of the dive bar is time
and excessive use. To open a bar and called
it a dive before it has even had one local
cross the threshold is doing a disservice to
dimly lit local watering holes all around the
earth. Cheers and go to a dive. Right now.
SPECIAL INTEREST
10
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
IS
AND
It’s strange really, how much we take
something for granted, especially when
we are so caught up in the constant
movement of life. We forget that sitting
down and tasting something delicious,
something that was made by hand and
passed down from generation to genera-
tion, can make us feel that much better
and sometimes bring us to tears. I think
this is finally coming back. A return to the
respect of food. Thank god.
How did we even lose this respect? I think
it’s not high-mindedness. Post World
War Two, we got lazy. We got spoiled.
We could eat 20-ounce steaks. There
were restaurants everywhere. It’s all
about excessive portions and meat and
potatoes. We lost touch with having to
cook well because we didn’t have to. The
nation had just been through a war, and
suddenly there was a period of incredible
prosperity, relatively, and it was all about
convenience and things other than food.
American culture is all about assimilat-
ing and moving away from your roots,
moving away from your small town or
your poor background. Families changed,
populations moved, and everywhere we
went there were cheap hamburgers and
chicken without skin or legs.We weren’t
forced into a situation where we had to
find ingenious ways to make something
that was not very good, and there wasn’t
very much of it, into something delicious.
Where people have to cook well, or are
forced by circumstances to cook well, they
learn to make the most of it. It was just
as easy to go out to a Howard Johnson’s
or a Horn & Hardart back in the ‘50s than
it was to eat at home, in fact you were en-
couraged to do it. The TV dinner was seen
as a godsend for people who had more
11
FOOD
important things to do than feed them-
selves. That’s changing. We’re much more
aware of where our food comes from.I
hate to say it, but I think we will see it. As
the price of raw ingredients rises, we’ll
reach a point where a lot of working fam-
ilies will have to figure out how to cook
again to make the most out of what they
have. A lot of foods we take for granted
now are going to be out of reach. We very
well might have to start cooking eventu-
ally more like the Chinese, where meat,
for instance, is less the main event than
the garnish, the condiment, the flavoring
ingredient. So we might be forced to eat
better, cook better, and eat healthier just
by virtue of these food items we take for
granted being out of reach economically.
Even at mid-range restaurants, any chef
could put a big fat fillet of wild salmon on
a plate. Now? Not so much.
What would happen if we were stripped
of all the commercial food commodities?
Would we respect everything alot more?
Would we be calling our grandmothers
more often to find out just how the hell
they made it work when they didn’t have
a supermarket or fast food chain wait-
ing for you just minutes away from the
house? I think so. We would get closer
to our cultures and our land, because we
would simply have to in order to survive.
This would make us appreciate each
flavor, each step taken to prepare, each
ounce of effort used to create a meal that
would ultimately keep us from starving
and in fact bring us all together. Which is
another point that I want to address.
Food is a bonding experience. Sure, many
of us eat alone, and this fine for whoever
wants to do that, but like most things,
food is best when it is shared with some-
one. Not only is the experience of the
food shared, but life experiences in gen-
eral. Stories of times past, flavors similar
to the ones being experienced at the
moment. Food is a gateway to emotions
that peole sometimes supress or just
plain forget about. Stuff your face and let
those feelings out, people! Get to know
your food and understand where it comes
from. Or if you so choose, walk blindly
and blandly into a world of food without
personality and respect. The choice is
yours. Choose wisely.
fooD IS AN exteNSIoN of NAtIoNAlISt feelINg, your perSoNAl hIStory, your provINce, your regIoN, your trIbe, your grANDmA”
“
12
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
latin americaninfluence on food industry not getting enough credit
vegetarian? VEGAN? why bother?
food as culture and history
celebrity chef phenomenon and its impact on the culinary worldThere was a time when chefs were invisible. They weren’t your best friend, their opinions didn’t matter and they, in turn, could care less about the opinions of others. Times have changed. People like Rachel Ray have taken over with their endorsements and “cooking techniques” that lead the world to believe that it’s the right thing to do. Sure, I milk the celebrity chef angle for all it’s worth, but for the opposite reasons that the food network flaunts to the masses. The best thing to come out of it: the greater appreciation of food. For that, I am thankful.
People have differing opinions on what we should do about immigration in the future. How open or how closed our borders should be. Fine. But let's be honest, at least, about who is cooking in America NOW. Who we rely on--have relied on for decades. The bald fact is that the entire restaurant industry in America would close down overnight, would never recover, if current immigration laws were enforced quickly and thoroughly across the board. Everyone in the industry knows this. It is undeniable.
cVegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold.
Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic
feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your
grandma. I guarantee that there is a culinary tradition that follows your
family back for generations. Without food, history wouldn’t be the same
No, I want to tell you about the dark recesses of the restaurant underbelly-a subculture whose centuries-old militaristic hierarchy and ethos of “rum buggery and the lash” make for a mix of unwavering order and nerve-shattering chaos-because I find it all quite comfortable, like a nice warm bath.
Ah, food and alcohol, could there be a better pair? I think not. Sure, both alcohol and food can leave you hurting the next morning, but ultimately they are the saving graces of any
bad party, event, or travel experience. The food and alcohol act in symphony
complimenting one another and creating taste experiences that leave you craving
more. Oh and it definitely helps that one can be the cure for the pain of the other
Methodologies of cooking cover a broad spectrum from the contemporary practices of
molecular gastronomy to the ages old method of charcuterie and everything simple
in between. It’s important to realize that all are good ways to prepare a meal and to not
get caught up in just one of them. The foundations will never leave and there will
always be a maverick in the kitchen. It’s vital to understand and appreciate both
Whether hot dogs or squid balls, street food is the quickest way to discover the nuances of a culture. Sure, the food may not look to be the
safest to eat, but looks can be deceiving. These vendors make this food because their life
depends on it and it shows. The quality is better than that of any tourist trap restaurant and a
much better experience
what really happens in a restaurant kitchen
13
latin americaninfluence on food industry not getting enough credit
vegetarian? VEGAN? why bother?
food as culture and history
celebrity chef phenomenon and its impact on the culinary worldThere was a time when chefs were invisible. They weren’t your best friend, their opinions didn’t matter and they, in turn, could care less about the opinions of others. Times have changed. People like Rachel Ray have taken over with their endorsements and “cooking techniques” that lead the world to believe that it’s the right thing to do. Sure, I milk the celebrity chef angle for all it’s worth, but for the opposite reasons that the food network flaunts to the masses. The best thing to come out of it: the greater appreciation of food. For that, I am thankful.
People have differing opinions on what we should do about immigration in the future. How open or how closed our borders should be. Fine. But let's be honest, at least, about who is cooking in America NOW. Who we rely on--have relied on for decades. The bald fact is that the entire restaurant industry in America would close down overnight, would never recover, if current immigration laws were enforced quickly and thoroughly across the board. Everyone in the industry knows this. It is undeniable.
cVegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold.
Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic
feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your
grandma. I guarantee that there is a culinary tradition that follows your
family back for generations. Without food, history wouldn’t be the same
No, I want to tell you about the dark recesses of the restaurant underbelly-a subculture whose centuries-old militaristic hierarchy and ethos of “rum buggery and the lash” make for a mix of unwavering order and nerve-shattering chaos-because I find it all quite comfortable, like a nice warm bath.
Ah, food and alcohol, could there be a better pair? I think not. Sure, both alcohol and food can leave you hurting the next morning, but ultimately they are the saving graces of any
bad party, event, or travel experience. The food and alcohol act in symphony
complimenting one another and creating taste experiences that leave you craving
more. Oh and it definitely helps that one can be the cure for the pain of the other
Methodologies of cooking cover a broad spectrum from the contemporary practices of
molecular gastronomy to the ages old method of charcuterie and everything simple
in between. It’s important to realize that all are good ways to prepare a meal and to not
get caught up in just one of them. The foundations will never leave and there will
always be a maverick in the kitchen. It’s vital to understand and appreciate both
Whether hot dogs or squid balls, street food is the quickest way to discover the nuances of a culture. Sure, the food may not look to be the
safest to eat, but looks can be deceiving. These vendors make this food because their life
depends on it and it shows. The quality is better than that of any tourist trap restaurant and a
much better experience
what really happens in a restaurant kitchen
FOOD
14
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
FROM THE STREETS TO THE kITCHENAnd in being that selfish I must have dis-
appointed people, and all my regrets are
about disappointing people - as a friend,
as a lover, being a letdown. Cooks. That
explains why a lot of us go into the busi-
ness in the first place. In there, there was
something you could control, a way you
could feel good about yourself.”
Anthony Bourdain is not your average
chef: crass, opinionated, world traveler
and suprisingly nice guy. However, his
beginnings were much like that of any
other chef, starting at the bottom and
working his way to the top. I met with
Tony, that’s what he prefers to be called
after a drink or two, at a local pub and
had a casual chat to discuss his path
through life. The diagram gives a sim-
plistice view of his path during the past
few decades, if you dont want to read
the discussion.
Being a dishwasher, succeeding that
night as part of a group - that was the
first time I ever went home feeling proud.
“
I miss the chef talk. Five or six chefs, all
talking away about someone who’s a
backstabbing treacherous psycho, all
agreeing, completely, and then into the
anger someone just says, yeah, but he
can cook. I miss that. Cooking is such an
intimate thing. There’s no lying in the
kitchen. You can’t spin your ability: you
can’t even lie about your personal life,
because problems come through.”
His own personal life began to fall apart
not long ago. You could blame the success
of the book only in part: it was because of
one physical place that success got him,
and that was Vietnam.
I’d read Greene. Conrad. Maugham. And
Vietnam was just like the books, just like
the movies, only better. The guileless
generosity of strangers, waking up smell-
ing those smells, seeing those sights. And
having, once, one perfect meal, a con-
fluence of everything good, a source of
perfect happiness; I was almost ready to
believe in God.
But there was quite a big downside to all
of that.” His eyes are intently on me now,
the background chatter receding. “I knew
that my whole previous life was doomed.
It was no longer going to be normal. I had
seen that ... colour... and I knew that that
had changed me, altered the way I would
look at things. And the first time I went
back to America, I found I was right. Ev-
erything was flat. Everything.” He doesn’t
go into too many details, but his marriage
to Nancy broke up shortly afterwards.
She was the love of my life. But every-
thing changed. But ... look ... yes, there
are regrets. But, also, and never mind this
extraordinary change in life, the book - I
have had so many things. So many other
things. I have loved with all my heart, and
I have been loved. I knew better people
than I deserved. I had more fun than I de-
served. What I do regret is letting people
down. Not being able to be a complete
human being. Long before I was even on
TV I was always, somehow, seeing myself
as if I was in a movie: selfish, narcissistic. “
“
15
AND bACk AGAINSTORy by EUAN FERGUSON
LIFE
16
SUMMER 2011 SPECIAL GUEST EDITION
MAYBE THAT’S ENLIGHTENMENT ENOUGH: TO KNOW THAT THERE IS NO FINAL RESTING pLACE OF THE MIND; NO MOMENT OF SMUG CLARITY. pERHApS WISDOM...IS REALIzING HOW SMALL I AM, AND UNWISE, AND HOW FAR I HAVE YET TO GO.”
“