I don't really have an opinion on him. I haven't watched any of his shows, although I thought he was funny on his episodes of Hot Ones. I just saw the preview for this show.

The element that pushed Bourdain’s shows beyond simply being food/travel shows were his strengths as a writer and filmmaker. He oversaw all the edits and he wrote all the VO. Each episode had a different feel and pace and rhythm. That was all him. That is not a niche that can be filled by anyone else.

fun fact: I've met gordon 2 times and both times was in 2 different mens restrooms in london restaurants...

That is fun

i always loved this...we used to eat there weekly..near our old apartment

Oh shit, I never knew this

he has a new audio book series out called our harlem that sounds interesting..have you seen/heard it yet?

I don't know how much editing he did/oversaw. But, yeah. He wrote all everything. The reason Parts Unknown was so groundbreaking and powerful even in the wake of his previous shows is that he had full creative control on the project. Which is something he hated not having when he was with Travel Channel. Parts Unknown really was his baby through and through.

I think that No Reservations was as good as it was even without him controlling a large aspect of where/what/how they filmed, is a testament to exactly how great Bourdain was at what he did. It was his whole outlook and approach to the work. The guy was special.

No but I'm gonna

I'm really happy to have learned this. I had sort of pictured him cutting his scenes, then retreating to his cocoon to cope with the pressure. Gives me another level of appreciation in him that he was so involved with the overall narrative of his production.

And he was great to his crew and made sure anyone who wanted to come along from Zero Point Zero joined him at CNN. He didn't want any non-voluntary crew job losses.

Parts Unknown didn't have a shooting script at all. Bourdain often picked where he wanted to go based on films and tried to tie in the visual language with that inspiration so that each episode felt like its own unique story. Sometimes the "film the ep is based on" (for lack of a better phrase) is pretty obvious. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's more abstract, other times it's blatant. But I find it's always rewarding.

In case yis missed it. We should all make this tonight. I’m gonna


Anthony Bourdain’s perfect roast chicken
Everyone needs to know how to roast a chicken, with obligatory crispy skin and moist tender meat

ANTHONY BOURDAIN’S ROAST CHICKEN

Ingredients

1 best-quality chicken (about 1 kg), preferably organic
Sea salt to taste
Crushed black peppercorns to taste
4 tbsp unsalted butter
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
Half a lemon, cut into 4 wedges
1 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
1½ cups chicken stock
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat an oven to 230 degrees Celsius.

Rub the bird inside and out with salt and crushed peppercorns. Stuff a half tablespoon knob of butter under the skin of each side of the breast skin, and under the skin of each thigh. Stuff the thyme, bay leaf, and lemon wedges into the chicken’s cavity.

Use the tip of a paring knife to poke a small hole in the skin just below each of the chicken’s legs, and tuck each leg carefully into that hole. (You may also truss the chicken with butcher’s twine if you know how, but this is much simpler.)

Place the chicken in a flame-proof roasting pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan, moving it to different parts of the oven to account for hot spots, and basting the bird two or three times with a bulb-top baster or long-handled metal spoon.


Reduce the oven’s heat to 150 degrees Celsius and continue to roast, basting frequently, for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the bird is done: When you poke the fat part of the thigh with the paring knife, the juices should run clear.

Remove the bird from the oven, let it rest 15 minutes, then remove the breasts and legs from the carcass, reserving everything. Use a ladle to skim off and discard as much surface fat from the pan juices as possible. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over high heat and stir in the wine and lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon to dislodge and dissolve the browned bits. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook until it is reduced by half.

Stir in the stock with a wooden spoon, bring to a boil, and reduce again by half. Remove from the heat and strain this sauce through a sieve into a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is thick and glossy. Fold in the parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary.
Serve the chicken, half of the breast plus a drum stick or a thigh per person, with
the sauce ladled over.

I made Bourdain’s recipe for coq au vin before, it was really damn good. Unfortunately, it was when I worked in catering so I only got to have a small plate, but it was great.

Been thinking about Bourdain a lot lately. Probably because I just transitioned to a life in an entirely new type of neighborhood. If it weren’t for approaching new grocery stores and food spots with the spirit of a Parts Unknown episode, I’d feel totally lost. Thinking about Bourdain helps me see the new neighborhood with curious eyes.

Ruddo why is this thread in A&E?

Watching the Georgia (Tbilisi) episode. Not one of the better ones, but I really want those eggplant/walnut things.

You can buy his stuff

https://www.thekitchn.com/anthony-bourd ... n-22951511

If I had the scratch, I’d do it

i'd like that knife

Want to cross some remaining PU episodes off my list that I either haven't seen or just can't remember, help me pick:

Greek Islands
London
Laos
Antarctica
Oman
Trinidad
Sri Lanka
Armenia
Hong Kong