IN MEMORIAM | ANTHONY BOURDAIN (JUNE 25, 1956 - JUNE 8, 2018)

When referring to themselves collectively, my Mexican carnales like La Raza or La M (pronounced la emaayy), or La Mafia. Externs from culinary school, working for free as a 'learning experience' - which by itself translates to 'lots of work and no money' - are quickly tagged as FNG (Fucking New Guy), or Mel for mal carne (bad meat). Army, short for 'army cook', or the classic but elegant shoe, short for 'shoemaker', are the perennial insults for a lousy or 'slophouse' cook.

Anthony Bourdain
From: Kitchen Confidential (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000)


Cro-Mags’ Harley Flanagan & Anthony Bourdain
Source: NewYorkNatives/YouTube (A Must-See video)


Understand this: I always hated those articles, like the ones in Vanity Fair, featuring the Lifestyles of the Rich and Despotic, where some chicken-brained Hilton kiddie, shrivelled Sukarno relative, or Scientologist movie star lets us into their swanky digs to show off their collection of expensive motorcars and Tiberius-inspired plumbing. I don't know why they really publish this stuff. 

Do the writers actually admire these no-accounts and wish us to emulate their wastrel behaviour if we can? Or are the writers, in fact, hard-core Maoist provocateurs, hoping secretly to rouse us ordinary schlubs to a murderous rage with these glimpses into the profligate spending of capitalist grotesques?

Anthony Bourdain
From: The Nasty Bits (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005)



Iggy & Anthony
The Two Godafathers
Source: Night Flight


 

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