Dee Randall wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> >
> > Dee Randall wrote:
> >> > wrote in message
> >> oups.com...
> >> >
> >> > Dee Randall wrote:
> >> >> > wrote in message
> >> >> ups.com...
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Virginia Tadrzynski wrote:
> >> >> >> Fictional:
> >> >> >> "Mama" in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. No money, no government
> >> >> >> support,
> >> >> >> and
> >> >> >> she made sure her kids were fed. My kind of woman, she knew what
> >> >> >> was
> >> >> >> important.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> TV/Real(?): Tony Bourdain, hands down. The man is a trained cook
> >> >> >> who
> >> >> >> isn't
> >> >> >> afraid to eat damn near anything.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Plus, when something Bourdain eats tastes foul (like the Iguana
> >> >> > tamales
> >> >> > he eat in Mexico on the old Cook's Tour show), he says so. In fact,
> >> >> > he's arguably at his most entertaining when he's ranting about how
> >> >> > bad
> >> >> > something is. And when Bourdain says something's great, it's
> >> >> > believable. Someone like Rachel Ray is useless as a source of info
> >> >> > because she has the same feigned orgasmic reaction to everything she
> >> >> > puts in her mouth.
> >> >>
> >> >> I can't remember which program it was, but he went to the restaurant
> >> >> "French
> >> >> Laundry" (I believe it was - it's considered by many the best
> >> >> restaurant
> >> >> in
> >> >> the U.S.) and was tasting each dish and commenting. My favorite was
> >> >> when
> >> >> he
> >> >> ordered the lowly "french fry" to see how it compared. He really had
> >> >> a
> >> >> long
> >> >> face when he had to admit how good they were. Bet he was back in the
> >> >> kitchen pronto asking chef how they were made.
> >> >
> >> > That was an episode I didn't see, unfortunately, but I read the chapter
> >> > in his Cook's Tour book about that meal at the French Laundry.
> >> > Bourdain says it's the only restaurant on earth that is so great he
> >> > doesn't mind not being able to smoke there. And then when it came for
> >> > dessert, Thomas Keller, the FL chef, knew Bourdain's tastes well enough
> >> > to create for him a dessert infused with tobacco!
> >> >
> >> I have only his book "Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines" which I take
> >> with me to read for waiting purposes and have not got through it --
> >> I see in that book, he has listed other titles,
> >> "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly"
> >> "Bone in the Throat"
> >> "Gone Bamboo"
> >> "Typhod Mary (an urban Historical)"
> >>
> >> Would you know which of these books the French Laundry experience was in?
> >>
> >> Yes, Bourdain's is really a smoker, and you can tell the toll it (and
> >> probably other things?) takes on him.
> >
> > It's in his book A Cook's Tour, in a chapter called "West Coast." It's
> > one of the most entertaining chapters in the book. He gives a bunch of
> > CA. vegetarians the chance to convert him to vegetarianism ("Not one of
> > them could cook a ****ing vegetable," he concludes), then goes to SF,
> > where he makes note of all the prostitution, junkies, and homelessness,
> > and finds it strange that in such an environment he has trouble finding
> > a spot where he can smoke some tobacco. Finally he ends up with a
> > positive note, his dinner at the French Laundry.
> >
> > Yeah, smoking's a lousy habit and it has taken a toll on Bourdain. Did
> > you see the Chinese episode of "No Reservations"? He tries bicycle
> > riding but doesn't make it too far.
>
> Hmm, The book I have is also entitled "A Cook's Tour" in large letters, but
> in smaller letters, "Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines." I'm wondering
> if these are a series of books of "A Cook's Tour" with each one of them
> being under a different category/title.

It's the same book with different subtitles. My copy with the "Global
Adventures..." subtitle is softback, with a series of photos in the
center that aren't in my other hardbacked copy of the book.

> I've got the Chinese episode recorded from a few weeks ago. I'm looking
> forward to seeing it.

The Chinese episode is good. His reactions to the local booze are
funny ("That's pretty much paint-thinner," etc.). There's a scene
where he eats some really nasty-looking cow stomach parts and tofu
by-product. Also he eats some delicious looking stuff -- roasted duck,
noodles, etc.