There truly are only a handful of individuals in the culinary world that truly brought something new to the table. One of those individuals, Anthony Bourdain, has left the table, and with that, a seat that will be extremely hard to fill.
While I enjoyed cartoons and sports growing up like every other kid, I watched more food television than most kids my age. For Christmas, I’d ask my mom for microplanes, honey dippers, and other obscure cooking utensils to feel more like the chefs that I idolized on television. She’d let me help with food prep in the kitchen and might even let me make my own dish from time to time, knowing full well that it’d end up being inedible. (Note, I was VERY young when this started.) My fixation for in-the-kitchen cooking shows like Emeril Live, Good Eats, Two Fat Ladies and many others, over different channels, never completely faded, but after watching these for years and years, I need new inspiration.
Then, without having read Kitchen Confidential or even hearing his name, Bourdain entered my life through A Cook’s Tour. At first, it was probably his familiarity that kept my attention. Like Anthony, I was also born in New York and raised in New Jersey, so it seemed like he could’ve been one of my dad’s friends. Or, more likely, it might have been my desire to travel. I’d always been fascinated with ancient and foreign cultures, especially in Asia. Anthony Bourdain was, to me, a culinary superhero, or maybe more so, a culinary secret agent. I’d always been a huge fan of James Bond, so that really makes sense now that I put it all together.
As I grew and began to travel more myself, meeting new people and tasting different food, No Reservations brought an even more elevated level of food television to the culinary world, but he didn’t stop there. Bourdain continued to innovate in Parts Unknown and by this time, he had absolutely cemented himself on the Mt Rushmore of modern and/or international food culture. As an adult, who passed up culinary school at The Art Institute of Philadelphia just over a decade ago, I was, and still am, inspired by this man.
He has opened himself up to such diversity and inclusion, championing oppressed cultures and populations. He has consistently fought against corruption and highlighted the importance of the “little people” in the food industry. He has declared that the American restaurant system is, more or less, held up by the work of Latino workers, specifically praising Ecuadorians and Mexicans, while maintaining a level of respect from the rest of the culinary world that is only matched by Michelin ratings.
If you don’t know much about Anthony Bourdain and haven’t followed his adventures on television, love for his family on Instagram, courage to speak out against oppressive leadership in our country or other adventures, at least go check out some of my favorite moments from him on YouTube, to get a better idea about who he is. I always go back and watch his trip to a young Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant, feelings about dirty water hot dogs in New York City and declaration that In-n-Out makes the best burgers in the world, or at least, his favorite.
A down-to-Earth guy that has been nearly everywhere and done nearly everything that this planet has to offer, even without him still here with us, I will continue to be inspired by Anthony Bourdain for the rest of my life. We’ve published over 1000 posts on this “food blog” and it might not exist if it wasn’t for his impact on the world. And as always, stay hungry and fit.
