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As someone who was mildly familiar with Bourdain ("some sort of American TV cook", some badly-dubbed shows in our private TV channels which didn't really catch on, because 'cooking show') until he decided to end it ...

... it is fascinating to me that one person, especially in a very niche profession, has had that kind of cultural impact that his random writing is being discussed seven years after his death.



He is famous for his writing, and not for being a chef.

His 2000 book, "Kitchen Confidential," was a New York Times best seller, and it's what put him on the map. It's still one of my favorite books, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The chapter on his bread baker, "Adam Real Last Name Unknown," is one of the funniest things I've ever had the pleasure to read.


He was really more of a writer then a celebrity TV chef. His travel shows caught on because of his eloquence and PoV.


A chef is not a niche profession - everyone knows what a chef does, and has consumed what they make

A niche profession is, say, artistic cycling

People talk about Bourdain 7 years later for the same reason that they talk about musicians, actors, and painters 7 or 70 years later


Kitchen Confidential is an excellent read. Any reader will come away having healthy respect and fear of the restaurant industry.




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