Book Review: Anthony Bourdain/Kitchen Confidential

Soooo... I am going on a vacation. A cruise. With my family. I will be out of touch with work and with email for a week. Not "Michigan" out of touch where I actually have internet access but Cruise Ship out of touch where I can buy expensive internet access by the hour and it is unreliable at best. I made the decision to be totally out of touch and as such knew i would need something to read. I was finishing a re-reading "Slaughterhouse Five"... so it goes... and had a plane to re-read Frank Herbert's Dune next. I think I was reliving my high school reading but lately it has occurred to me that I have read a lot of great books and retained very little from them so perhaps a time of re-reading was in order. Perhaps it would take the rest of my left.

As is so often the problem, Kowert screwed everything up. I caught up with he and Johnny Chico at the "The Sports Zone" in Shrewsbury and we eventually got down to my upcoming vacation and reading plans and he said "Anothony Bourdain". I had never heard of the guy and so I kept rolling the rrrrrr and saying to Johnny Chico...Anthuuuuuuuny Bourrrrrrrrrrrdain... as obnoxiously as possible. I rarely take anyone's advice "other then NPR and the New York Times Book Review". It is, after all, part of being a book snob. But Kowert went on and on abou the guy and about how he wrote like I wish I could I could write and Kowert... damn him... is very smart and sometimes.... insightful. It is important to have friends who care enough to tell you things they think you will like even when they know they will be met with sarcasm and contempt. I am, after all, an asshole.

So I hit the book store (always Borders, never Barnes and Noble) and after looking around a little found "Kitchen Confidential". I finished Vonnegutt on the plane and then started this book and started to laugh, smile, think about food, people, relationships and personal shortcomings... and was totally hooked. Now I owe Kowert. Now I know I will be returning to the states and buying all of his books, fiction and non fiction. It will be interesting to spend the next 6 weeks or so reading all of his stuff but I am hoping that it will feel like being 49 and discovering Hunter Thompson for the first time. This Bourdain guy seems like the real thing to me. I have been on the cruise ship and am still so I have not yet had time to go to the only trusted source for information...wikipdia, but he makes himself out to be a rich boy, prep school, Vassar drop out, asshole who got into cooking because his room mates insisted that he stop stealing from them and start paying rent when summering in Providence so he went to work as a dishwasher and fell in love with... the life.

And that is what the book is really all about. His love of the "the life". His successes, more about his failures, a little (very little ) regarding his heroin addiction (which he beats) and more about his addiction to...everything. The book is a study on how life throws so many things at you, and most of us (including him) mis-handle most of them. Bourdain does the fucking up in spades and seemingly without remorse. He moves from dishwasher, to the line, to culinary school (before it was cool) and then on to his misadventures in NYC restaurantdom. The copy I had was even better because it had an appendix and and afterword with Bourdain commenting on the book from his present pedestal (evidently he is the star of a very popular international travel show called "No Reservations". I have never seen it but trust me, I will be TiVo'ing upon my return to the states.

This was, without a doubt the most enjoyable read of the year. Entertaining and insightful and sometimes just brilliant, and that is NOT a term I throw around. Even as he is daily dealing with Ecuadorian fry cooks, drug addict bakers and backstabbing sous chefs he is smart and resilient and the life lessons he doles out are common sense even though he is constantly giving examples of his ownignoring of them. Show up on time, do not steal, do what you say you are going to do, when you make a mistake own up to it. There is no rocket science here but as the author gets his shit together as his career advances it reinforces the truth of all those maxims. It made me long for my time in high school and college working in a restaurant and when he talked about the allure of being on a pirate crew I knew exactly what he was talking about and the idea of being a chef, or captain of the pirates...is compelling. But not for me. He points out that it is a very hard life, requiring dedication and attention to details and foregoing any kind of "normal" life or relationships outside the kitchen.

My favorite part of the book was when he described his relationship with his "Sous Chef" at Les Halles which became his permanent career gig, It is touching because it is kind of a pirate love letter to his first mate and it is written with such love, such compassion and caring that even when he describes Stephen as someone "who could not look at a desk without rifling it's contents" he means it as a salute rather than as a criticism. It made me think of my best friends and wondering whether anyone outside of my wife (and perhaps not even her) could speak with such love of me. It was touching... at least for me. I normally do not go for non fiction and though he admits in the new afterword that his recitation of the books events has not always been remembered with such clarity by the other participants... it rings true, all the way through.

Buy this book if you like to eat out, if you like food but most of all buy it if you like to read really, really, funny, well written, insightful stuff. I know I am embarrassingly late on the bandwagon but Anthony Bourdain is the real thing. Go buy his books. DO IT NOW! Go on Amazon and order them, or at least this one. I am totally confident of my recommendation.

Diner Review: Mama Josephines, The Best Comfort Food In The City!

Sooooo it has come to my attention...again...pointed out by no less eminent a critic then Johnny Chico that I have been filing to Diner or even dining reviews which is of course my purpose for blogging. Instead I have been "bloviating" about politics, the budget, Lutherans, The Giving tree and CD Reviews. Wasting your time... and mine. All we really give a shit about is food. Am I right? Of course I am right.

Recently on of the Diner reviews friends, the inimitable Kevin Donaldson read a review of a place called Mama Josephines in the RFT. http://www.riverfronttimes.com/slideshow/mama-josephines-southern-home-cookin-at-its-best-30411679/. I do not spend enough time pursing the RFT reviews on line but Donaldson has an empty and vacuous life and as such he is a veritable fount of useless information. I cultivate people like this and it holds me in good stead.

So he told me about Mama Josephines, and I read the review and wow... it seemed like a perfect place. It is located on Shaw several blocks east of the Botanical Gardens. it is not a perfect neighborhood and it is very close to the highway. Still it is a neighborhood that is struggling to make a come back. It was a little bit of a chilly day and Donaldson brought his partner who will remain nameless (primarily due to the fact that he arrived in a KIA). I was late and called in my apologies and asked what was on the menu and Donaldson hooked me up directly with the proprietor. Mary spoke with a nice Louisiana drawl and was charming and when she told me that they had home made chicken fried steak. I arrived as the food arrived and it was succulent. When you get chicken fried steak in the Lou we often end up with frozen patties and even more obscenely they are often dropped in a deep frier. This was perfectly hand breaded around a perfect piece of meat. The white cream gravy was also home made and perfect with some fries. It was awesome. They also brew their own iced tea.

Mary served the three of us as we sat outside (which will probably be out of the question now that it is November. My compatriots had the fried chicken which was awesome and they came with sides like green beans and mashed potatoes and corn bread. I also had the corn bread and it was the only minor disappointment being a little dry. It was the only thing I had or sampled that did not make me think that it was made especially for me while I waited. They also had the chicken and dumplings which had a nice broth and huge soft dumplings that made a perfect paste of chicken, pasta and broth. It really was perfect. The whole meal was almost unstoppably perfect so. They offered a great deal of home made deserts as well. I felt like I had to come back and so I did and I had the fried chicken this time and my guest had the chicken fried steak. They were both perfect again.

When mary was waiting on us she told the charming story of being raised in the restaurant business and then her parents not allowing her to pursue "the life" but she got to an age and just wanted to do this, for herself, for her mother and, well, for all of us. Donaldson mentioned to me that the food is under priced and I agree with him. I am concerned the place is not going to be open long despite the fabulous food and the charming owner. I need to get back there to try their Philly Cheese Steak, their fish, their pulled pork, their angus burger and everything else on menu. I would STRONGLY suggest you join me. Remember, eating at chain restaurants is a crime against St. Louis. The next thing you know you will confusing Mc Rib for food.

http://www.mamajosephines.com/Menu.html

In Praise Of The Brave: Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson

Two Old White Guys Do Good!


Two guys who I have never heard of became my heroes this week by betraying their parties to present something….”gasp” together from their position as Co-Chairman of The Presidents (yes that President) bi-partisan debt reduction commission. Bi-Partisan has become a sad joke with members of the world’s most deliberative bosy (the U.S. Senate) not even speaking across party lines. Taking a page from that great American leader Dick Cheney, “your either with us or against us”. Brilliant! The republicans of course blame Obama, Pelosi and Reid for shoving legislation down their throat. The idea that the election two years ago gave them a mandate to do so is forgotten in the miasma of the new mandate from this election.

And that is OK. Elections do indeed have consequences. But somehow the idea that our two parties cannot work together on anything is pathetic and debilitating to a democracy. Now the talking heads on FOX have explained to me that this election was about over spending, gays in the military, the sanctity of marriage, Obama Care, progressivism, BIG government, taxation, blah, blah, blah. The election was about two things, jobs and the economy. And although no one could have done any better in turning that around, it has become Obama’s recession and we can all wring our liberal hands about how unfair that is but we all need to grow up. It is Obama’s recession because he was captain of the ship who took over after the storm hit but it was still his job to convince the crew that he could steer back on course. He blew that. But I doubt seriously that anyone could have done better.

So forgetting about all the social issues related to related politics, the self righteous over spending Republicans, having been given religion by the Tea Party wing of their party found a new passion for not mortgaging our children’s future! The hypocrisy of this cannot be avoided since they have dominated the White House for 20 of the last 32 years and had control of both houses as well for the first 6 years of the Bush administration and presided over the hugest deficits in history. But now it is different. So they got elected saying they are going to cut, cut, CUT, spending, spittle flying from their mouths at the lectern. And they are more than willing to tell you WHAT they will cut. NPR FUNDING! Well that’s about 100 bucks. When pressed for cuts to the entitlement programs and military programs they talk about cutting waste. When talking about medicare cuts they talk about plaintiff’s lawyers. They nibble at the crust and refuse to tell us the truth.

What is the truth? The truth is that we have all enjoyed government benefits and tax relief. Our social security and medicare systems are broke. We cannot afford the benefits and support being paid to our parents but God forbid anyone ever speak the truth. We also cannot afford to fund a BIG bulky military and justify it by “the war on terror”. I am not suggesting that we gut the military but the way we are spending money related to the threats we face is obscene, short sighted and apparently unproductive. The war on terror is almost as effective as the war on drugs. Almost. Sigh. So God bless these guys, a republican and a Democrat. Here is what they laid out for us with my first blush reaction:

Increase the Social Security retirement age by one month every two years after it reaches 67 under current law. It would reach 68 around 2050 and 69 around 2075. Hate it but we probably have to do this right now and not phase it in.
-Lower cost-of-living increases. Hate it. This will put a lot of pressure on older people on fixed incomes who did not save enough and count on government as primary support.
-Gradually raise the threshold on the amount of income subject to the Social Security payroll tax. I do not know exactly what this means. Speak English.
-Give retirees the choice of collecting half their benefits early and the other half at a later age. I do not understand what this does for deficit reduction so…don’t understand it.
TAXES
-Overhaul individual income taxes and corporate taxes. For individuals and families, eliminate a host of popular tax credits and deductions, including the child tax credit and the mortgage interest deduction. Significantly reduce income tax rates, with the top rate dropping to 23 percent from 35 percent. This does not go far enough. Tax code must be scrapped. Give it a sunset date 5 years from now so businesses and individuals can plan and not be penalized too badly for their past reliance on loop holes. This is a very minor start. DO MORE HERE!
-Reduce the corporate income tax rate to 26 percent from 35 percent, and stop taxing the overseas profits of U.S.-based multinational corporations. I do not get how this helps but if it pleases big business and their lobbyists perhaps it is supposed to stimulate jobs, economic activity and income.
-Increase the gas tax by 15 cents a gallon to fund transportation programs. Yes. Our gas price is held artificially low by the way we subsidize the industry and fail to tax it. It costs a lot to drive but we do not want to pay it. It is a start.
DOMESTIC SPENDING
-Freeze Defense Department salaries and bonuses for three years, and noncombat military pay at 2011 levels for three years. Double Defense Secretary Robert Gates' proposed cuts in defense contracting. Reduce overseas bases by one-third, cut spending for base support and integrate children in military families into local schools. YES.
-Eliminate noncompetitive spending bills known as "earmarks." YES although I truly believe this is ONLY a political issue. The spending is already authorized by our big bloated government, this is just the pigs at the trough divvying up the corn cobs but why not make it a public process?
-End grants to large and medium-sized hub airports; require airports to fund a larger portion of the cost of aviation security. Makes sense. Free market, capitalism and all that.
-Cut funding for the public broadcasting. Fine. I like NPR, have no use for PBS but I should pay for what I use.
Reduce congressional and White House budgets by 15 percent, freeze federal compensation at non
defense agencies for three years, cut the federal work force by 10 percent, eliminate 250,000 non-
defense contractors and end money for commercial space flight. YES. Oh and lets add one, eliminate congresses health care system.

HEALTH CARE
-Limit or eliminate altogether the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits, providing incentives for people to enroll into cost-conscious insurance plans. This should be part of simplifying the tax code. Why do we use the tax code to encourage or discourage behavior. Every Libertarian, Tea Party Patriot and Republican should revolt against tax benefits for anyone or anything. Let individuals decide. Let the market decide. Will it be painful? Absolutely.
-Limit annual cost increases for Medicare and Medicaid, the giant health federal care programs, to no more than 1 percent above the growth rate of the economy. This would be accomplished by rewarding quality instead of sheer volume, demanding rebates from drug companies that want to participate in Medicare and raising cost-sharing for Medicare recipients while limiting their out-of-pocket costs. Good luck, but I applaud the effort. This is the only touchy feely part of this thing.
-Cap jury awards in malpractice cases. I do not believe this has anything to do with health care costs at this point. As a lawyer with many friends who are plaintiff lawyers and defense lawyers, tort reform has already worked. In Missouri there is no industry in this business anymore and even southern Illinois has been cleaned up a lot. Why not do it but once again, shouldn’t my Tea party Patriots and States rights people be up in arms about this invasion on State’s rights? Maybe Mississippi is happy with having law suits be 1/3 of its State economy.

Boy there is a lot of stuff that I hate there. But is has to be shared suffering. This all looks like a great start to me. I hate a lot of it but I am not that crazy about being a grown up and this is all grown up stuff. So here is to Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson. Maybe we can all do something good together. Now that would be hopey changie stuff I could get behind.