Appetites: A Cookbook

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I want to thank Anthony Bourdain, Harper Collins Publishers, and Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy. I was hesitant at several steps along the way--first, I marinated the chicken for a full 24 hours, and as I put the marinade together I thought the spice blend seemed a bit odd (there is a TON of cardamom, and the oregano seemed out of place to me). Also, super awkward seeing his (now ex) wife plastered everywhere, usually sweaty and in the middle of a jujitsu match. I’m not a TV watcher by any means, but I may be tempted to binge watch his show after I finish his books.

He obviously has a huge amount of very unique experience and has put so much work into his talent and career. In what might be his most accessible book yet, Bourdain reveals his Ina Garten-like need to feed the people around me with a terrific collection of recipes for family and friends. This was a great read over the holiday weekend and it's perfect for cozy, comforting recipes now that the weather is getting cold. We both thoroughly enjoyed this, but next time I might add some extra milk or cream to thin the sauce out a bit.The only other thing I couldn't see not doing was adding cheese - a slice of provolone went over the loaded bottom bun and was broiled until bubbly.

According to the introduction to his eagerly-awaited new cookbook Appetites, he is also someone with a "psycho–Ina Garten–like need to feed the people around me," "obsessive-compulsive in my work habits and anally retentive in ways that you’d find ideal in a professional brunch cook, but probably disturbing in a husband or parent. That means you get recipes for Sausage and Pepper Hero with a shot of Bourdain eating on the toilet (pants up; he’s no Zappa), and an explanation of how he can't resist this street food, "served at temperatures that would be probably be considered suboptimal by the New York State Department of Health, squashed on a dirty griddle and then piled into a squishy hero roll with some browned onions and peppers, the whole thing a greasy, soggy, unmanageable mess that generally falls apart in my hands before I can eat it. You don't get food porn, with colorful pretty set-ups of perfectly prepared dishes in warm wood-and-tiled, copper-pot displaying kitchens. And moving the giant heavy grill pan laden with chicken from the stove to the oven is tricky business.I picked up this cookbook from the library right before Thanksgiving, which was well timed, because it includes a Thanksgiving Tactical Primer with a 3 day preparation plan and some delicious, quite traditional recipes for the feast. I used a bit of the clam's canning liquid since I had no clam liquor, and about 1/2c of pasta water (which I had salted aggressively prior to cooking the pasta).

The recipes are what you would expect from his personal collection, a mix of high and lowbrow cuisine from near and far. They are the recipes that ‘work,’ meaning they've been developed over time and have been informed by repetition and long -- and often painful -- experience. If you have already submitted another request to index a book or magazine yourself, please do not make any additional requests until you have indexed and submitted that book or magazine.One, I miss Anthony Bourdain, two, The Tasting Table Cookbook Club on Facebook is using this cookbook this month for us to try recipes and post our results and pictures of our meals. And be prepared, should you have diet restrictions: these are riddled with gluten, dairy, meat, and all sorts of other things that aren't particularly good for you (but taste amazing). I did slightly burn the outside thanks to my electric stovetop - it’s hard to adjust when you’re used to gas! Oranges and beets are a lovely combination, and the touches of cider and mint were worthy additions to the flavors.

It's kind of a rock n'roll cookbook; not great for vegans and there's not a ton of quick prep stuff in here. I felt like the sauce became a bit gloppy when mixed in with the cauliflower, when I wanted it to be light, more like a vinaigrette. As he says, this is not intended to be a revolution in recipes; rather, it's a list of the kind of things he likes to make at home, particularly for his daughter.

From Anthony Bourdain in this book, I learned that certain terms to describe cuts of beef are marketing bullshit and "douche bait. It's no secret that I adore Anthony Bourdain, so it should be no surprise that I absolutely loved his newest book. This cookbook is actually not exactly what I expected as a huge Anthony Bourdain fan, but it's still great.