Book Review: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Non-fiction.  Memoir.  I have intended to read this book for a long time and I am really glad I finally read it, I love Anthony Bourdain!  He is absolutely hilarious, but only if you like sarcasm and dark humor, if you do not then this book is probably not for you.  I have enjoyed his T.V. shows for years, so I think that made it even easier for me to read it: I could hear his voice and see his expressions in my mind as I read the work.

The book is a sort of memoir about how he became a cook and then a chef, some advice for those who want to cook better meals at home (only a tiny bit), and insights into the life of a professional chef.  He is honest about his mistakes, and the tale is a much darker and a much grittier side to things than you see on Food Network: he really dislikes Emeril Lagasse, openly mocks Bobby Flay, and other things/people which makes for some pretty hilarious commentary.  After reading some fairly heavy works recently, this was definitely a humorous and informative breath of fresh air.

Tony started his career in a place during the summer off from college (Vassar where he was not doing much), up in a tiny fishing/beach/summer town called Provincetown (MA).  Delightfully for me, the day after I finished this book CNN ran a mini-marathon of his T.V. show "Parts Unknown" where he went to this town and then spent the rest of the episode talking about the growing heroin epidemic in the U.S.  So I was able to see some of the places, kitchens, and foods he discussed in the book, which was marvelous.  After reading this work, I have also decided that if/when I visit NYC in the future I will never eat at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center, I do indeed need to invest in better pots and pans and learn how to use those bigger and scarier chef's knives, and I have learned that the life of a chef can vary greatly depending on opportunities and the goals of the individual (e.g. Do you want to learn or do you want money?).  I highly recommend this book to fans of Anthony Bourdain, those interested in the world of chefs and cooking, and anybody looking for a few deeply sarcastic belly laughs.

And so it goes...

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight!

One of My Favorite Recipes!

You Will Need:
-about 1and 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
-about 2 cups of orange juice
-about 1-2 cups of Parmesan cheese
-a Pyrex baking dish

In a time crunch for a tasty home cooked meal? Try this one out, it is simple and easy! I don't have any measurements because I eyeball it pretty much, but it is that simple and tasty too. I take some boneless skinless chicken breasts that I buy packaged and frozen from the store. I put them in a Pyrex rectangular baking dish. I make sure to poke the breasts on each side with a fork. Then I pour in some orange juice until it coats the bottom of the pan, not too much because I put them in there frozen so water will come out too. Then I bake at 375 for about 20 minutes (approx. 1 and 1/2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts). The directions are for 20-30 mins. so this is 10 mins. shy of done. I then pull it out of the oven, poke the chicken on each side and flip them over. Then coat with Parmesan cheese (store bought in the plastic container) by shaking a bit over each piece. Add as much or little as you want. Return to oven for 10 more minutes. And voila! delicious chicken dinner. It takes about 2 minutes prep time if that. The orange juice makes the chicken super juicy and tender, which is helpful since it is boneless and skinless (which can very quickly mean dry and tasteless sometimes), and the juice doesn't add any extra fat either! It is a great one to use when you want dinner in a short time. My hubby and son just love the recipe and eat it all up every time. I usually serve it with some frozen veggies cooked in the microwave or maybe a bag salad dressed up with some fresh cut tomatoes and cucumbers.

Hope you like the recipe! If you try it out please leave a comment and let me know how you liked it!

Here is a link to a great recipe website I love that lets you keep a virtual recipe box you can use anywhere and anytime you have Internet access: http://allrecipes.com/. I also put a link to it under "Some Favorite Sites."

And so it goes...