The newest cooking trend: Celebrity chef backlash

Aren't Canadians supposed to be the nice ones? From Susan Schwartz, writer for Montreal newspaper The Gazette:

...Today, a coffee table book like "My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals" (Bloomsbury, $49.95) creates all kinds of buzz and gets spreads in magazines and newspapers all over North America, even though it's in large measure a pretentious and banal work, to my mind, one full of contrived photographs of chefs - including one, incidentally, of  (Anthony) Bourdain, nude, holding a strategically placed bone.

Today, a guy like Bourdain, who by his own admission did not have a particularly distinguished career in the kitchen in the many years he spent in one, fills a place like the 600-seat Corona Theatre at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday when theatre companies can't fill subscriptions. It amazes me.

Each person there had bought a copy of "No Reservations," Bourdain's eighth and latest book, from Bon Appétit Cookbooks, which organized the event; they turned up at the Corona to pick it up and to listen, rapt, as he answered questions from Bon Appétit co-owner Jonathan Cheung on everything from molecular gastronomy to restaurant bloggers. Then most of them queued, patiently, to go up onto the stage, for Bourdain to sign their books.

I'm sure the book will do well. So will Bourdain's. But there are way better books out there, books in which chefs write thoughtfully about what they do, about food and cooking - books like How I Learned to Cook (Bloomsbury, $17.95, 2007), a fine anthology edited by Kimberly Witherspoon with contributions from the likes of Marcella Hazan and David Chang, or Becoming a Chef (John Wiley & Sons, $35.99, 2003) by Andrew Dornenberg and Karen Page. It features recipes, too.

I believe people care about what they eat, that many of us feel strongly about the magic of being in the kitchen. I just don't get what people think they'll learn from celebrity chefs.

Get past the essence du pruny schoolmarm that infuses her piece and she has a point. For many people, good food is now the same thing as celebrity cheffiness and great cooking is Top Chef. And, as usual, it's America's fault. The French had haute cuisine for centuries and produced not a single reality show. We get our hands on it and, Voila! Chefs have groupies.

This is geek heaven: That's Harvey Pekar meeting Anthony Bourdain, with Michael Ruhlman in the background. Art by Gary Dumm, Pekar's frequent partner in crime. You can see the whole series at Bourdain's No Reservations site.

Y'know what? That's fine. More than, actually. Now that these people have heard of molecular gastronomy, maybe some of them will visit WD50 next time they're in New York. Or they'll have the courage to spend $50 on a tiny truffle and shave it over risotto. Or Hamburger Helper. Or not. But it's fun! So is listening to Bourdain! Or watching wannabe chefs vibrate under Tom Colicchio's cue-ball gaze! And it beats the hell out of being a Prissy Little Bitch, which is the risk you run by taking food Way Too Seriously. 

Comments

[Big Bomb]

Anthony Bourdain is not a good chef, AND he did admit that (which takes GUTS) to pre-empt folks like this Susan Schnob from using that as a spear -- but he's a tre-fucking-mendous writer and communicator, more so than the chick who disses him. Sorry honey, but he can write sour cream circles around you in your bitter soup ...

[cari]

I agree. The reason Anthony Bourdain is popular is because he has charisma. He is a good communicator, is extremely interesting, and has a unique but honest take on everything. Honestly I find his show on the travel channel so interesting I can't help being glued to my television screen the entire time, which is more than i can say about any show out there. I actually look forward to every new episode....... and he has a great sense of humor, sarcastic, biting, dry and glib all at the same time. I love it.

[tamara dabney]

I agree with the above two posters 100%.

especially this:

"...he is a good communicator, extremely interesting, and has a unique but honest take on everything.... and he has a great sense of humor, sarcastic, biting, dry and glib all at the same time."

ALL OF WHICH MAKES ANTHONY BOURDAIN SEXY AS HELL.

[tamara]

I agree with the above two posters 100%.

especially this:

"...he is a good communicator, extremely interesting, and has a unique but honest take on everything.... and he has a great sense of humor, sarcastic, biting, dry and glib all at the same time."

ALL OF WHICH MAKES ANTHONY BOURDAIN SEXY AS HELL.

[Alex Hogan]

Tony Bourdain is the sexiest man I have ever seen! My God!!! He's Punk, he's sarcastic, he's a foul-mouthed ass-hole. I love him, and want to marry him! We fit together like a vicious little jigsaw puzzle! Tony Rules!