Oh boy, where to begin. I must admit, it’s quite a shock to jump from a book like Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, to a book like A Cook’s Tour. It is reminiscent of a mental version of that feeling of jumping into a freezing cold pool. And I love it.
While Stealing Buddha’s Dinner gave us an interesting outsider experience of America, and offered an interesting take on the foods we often take for granted, Bourdain has provided us with a cultural food tour that hits as hard as a train. The differences between the two are quite clear, but one that strikes me is that I honestly can’t stop reading Bourdain’s book. It’s got this wonderful combination of being gory and vivid in just that way that makes it almost impossible to look away, while at the same time, manages to be very informative and very interesting.
His honesty is also much appreciated. While no one wants to think about where pork comes from, I think it’s something everyone should at least see once, out of respect for the animal’s we consume on a daily basis. His honesty in detail and almost blunt offering of emotion and opinion make the book feel very real, despite the presence of TV crews. In the end, the result is gripping and riveting.
I can’t keep thinking about the scene with the pig, and while I’m sure it grossed many a person out, I’m not as squeamish about such, thanks to my uncle. When I was only 12 my uncle took me out hunting with him. It ‘s an experience that is still vivid in my mind, especially since my uncle hunts in an old fashioned way. Using bow and arrow, instead of gun, he taught me how to walk quietly in a forest, and how to shoot a bow. That day he killed a deer, doing it quickly with a lucky shot. Watching the deer die was an enormous emotional moment. I was full of pity for the deer, pride in my uncle for getting it, and after it all, I came away with a whole new appreciation for life. I think this is truly an experience everyone should get to have at some point, it really changes how you think about what you eat.
Something else that Bourdain talks about often in his book that reminds me of my uncle is the idea of using EVERYTHING, leaving nothing to waste. I still have somewhere in my room a deer bone spoon that he carved out for me. My uncle hunted only now and again, and when he did, every single part of the deer was used, nothing went to waste. As Americans, because we often have such a disjointed view of where our food comes from, we waste a lot of it. Where elsewhere, when you barely have enough money to sustain a single cow at a time, you have to use every last piece of that cow. I think Americans could benefit from learning this lesson as well, as our waste of food is very foolish.
As a final note, I’m very eager to read the rest of this book, and follow Bourdain along his path. I’ve not been so into a required reading in a very long time.
I did like the way Bourdain described jumping into cold water too-- that his pores slammed shut. I don't want to be misunderstood as disliking him--just think that there's a sweet&sour balance to his writing, but it does keep you guessing, you're right! ... he masters those hooks.
ReplyDeleteWhat I enjoy most about his writing is his descriptions of food: they're very obtainable, I think... and in that way it's nice to be reading a book from somebody who we feel is "on our level"...