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The Nasty Bits

Anthony Bourdain

System D. D is for debrouillard (one who is skilled or resourceful at handling any difficulty; resourceful, capable or clever; able to put available resources to efficient or ingenious use). Someone who can figure out how to get out of an impossible situation. A McGyver, who can perform neurosurgery with a paper clip and a gun. Problem that a kitchen is usually chaotic; rarely totally organised. So you need a crew of misfits who can cope under battlefield conditions, and figure out/ make up something when system falls apart.

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The guys who really run American kitchens are all from Central and South America. Not some poser white guy who'll burst into tears if you criticize him. Best cooks are ex-dishwashers who've worked their way up every step of the stations of your restaurant. A diploma represents knowledge of techniques and standards and indicates nothing about character, willingness to learn, and endurance under pressure. Mexicans etc have grown up with real hardship. Extortionate cops and officials and arbitrary justice. The petty injustices of a kitchen are nothing in comparison.

Food porn as substitute for real sex bc perils of AIDs and STDs. Better to have Jamie Oliver than Tommy Lee bc less chance of penetration or theft of prescription drugs.

Flash In The Pan by David Blum "a savage and painstakingly documented account of the life and death of an American restaurant." Blum describes every step from empty construction site to jam-packed model/celeb hangout to floundering failure. "It's an invaluable book for anyone who's ever opened a restaurant, and a cautionary tale, filled with the kind of hubris, stupidity and vanity and desperation many of us have seen at one time or another in our chequered careers"

Interesting take on Chinese cooking. There are no 'good' or 'bad' ingredients. There are expensive ones, which are easy to cook. Then there is the other stuff - tongues, feet + other odd bits - that take a bit of time - like a few hundred years of trial-and-error, to get right.

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