Anthony Bourdain, a storyteller of food and people’s Culture around the globe.
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Food is a reflection of both culture and stories of people around the world, which is what I have learned from Anthony Bourdain.
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Shocked when I read Jamie Oliver’s post on Instagram, Anthony Bourdain died. Checked on the news, and he really is, then the news sink into my brain then felt that sadness. I look up to him as a chef and a poet, whose lines told me the story of every place he would go, especially on culture.
He is the man behind my wants in traveling and eating food in every place that I would go. He taught me that it is through eating that you can get to know the people’s story. Definitely, I am a fan, even followed him on Instagram.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”—Anthony Bourdain
Here I am now, writing my story of why I like him, setting aside what I should be writing at the moment. Telling every reader why this fan from the Philippines was heartbroken at the moment. Let me start by telling you who Anthony Bourdain is, from his personal life to be a host of my favorite shows.
Who is Anthony Bourdain?
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Anthony Bourdain might be popular with Filipino fans due to his love for famous "Lechon" or roasted whole pig and the favorite fast food restaurant, Jollibee and of course “sisig”, famous dish made out of pork's face, but let me tell you more about him.
Anthony Bourdain: Personal Life
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Anthony Bourdain, known to his friends as "Tony," was born June 25, 1956, in New York City and grew up in Leonia, New Jersey. His parents were Pierre Bourdain a classical music industry executive for Columbia Records, Gladys Bourdain, a staff editor for The New York Times. His younger brother, Christopher, later became a currency analyst.
His paternal grandparents were French: his paternal grandfather immigrated from Arcachon to New York following World War I, and his father grew up speaking French and spent many summers in France, that explains why he has this love for France.
Anthony Bourdain: Chef
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Bourdain attended The Culinary Institute of America, graduating in 1978. From there he went on to run various restaurant kitchens in New York City—including the Supper Club, One-Fifth Avenue, and Sullivan's. And in 1988, Tony became executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, based in Manhattan with additional locations at the time in Miami, Washington, D.C., and Tokyo, Japan. He remained executive chef there for many years.
“Food is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go.”-- Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain: Writer.
Anthony Bourdain wrote one of the New York’s bestselling book, “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” in 2000 then a sequel Kitchen Confidential was published in 2010, called “Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook.”
He also wrote two more New York Times bestselling nonfiction books: “A Cook's Tour “(2001), an account of his food and travel exploits across the world, written in conjunction with his first television series of the same title, and “The Nasty Bits” (2006), another collection of essays mainly centered on food. His additional books include “Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook”, the culinary mysteries “Bone in the Throat” and “Gone Bamboo”, a hypothetical historical investigation, “Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical”, and “No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach”.
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Anthony Bourdain: Host.
I have come to know him while watching TLC (and more chefs), a cable channel and that was “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” (I can still hear his voice saying those at the opening of the show). Then years after that, “Parts Unknown” that was being shown on Discovery channel. And in both shows, I have learned a lot from him.
The first show, “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain, visits overseas countries, cities worldwide, and places within the U.S., where hosts treat him to local culture and cuisine.
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In Season 5 of the show, Anthony Bourdain visited the Philippines, when one of a fan, a Filipino fan named Augusto Elefano, wanted him to know more of the Philippine cuisine and who the people really are.
Before Anthony Bourdain went to Cebu and meets Augusto in Cebu city and has a taste of lechon, he went to Pampanga and met a famous Filipino chef, Claude Tayag. Chef Claude Tayag introduced him to the famous “sisig” and some goat meat’s dishes.
He traveled to Cebu and have a taste of the famous whole roasted pig where he said: “the best pig ever”.
“I'd learned something... Food had power. It could inspire, astonish, shock, excite, delight and impress. It had the power to please me... and others. This was valuable information.--Anthony Bourdain
In his another show, “Parts Unknown”, Anthony Bourdain traveled the world uncovering lesser known places and exploring cultures and cuisine. And it has been my favorite travel show since it premiered on 2013.
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It had opened my eyes, of how people have to do for a living, their culture, and their stories most especially the unexplored places of the world, even the restricted ones.
“Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself.”--Anthony Bourdain
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Personal Thoughts of a Fan.
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Anthony Bourdain is my inspiration to travel more, despite the fact that I haven’t gone that far yet, but it made me consider trying to go out, explore the world, meet other people and learn about their culture, and their food.
Saddened by his surprise death, the news said the cause was an apparent suicide, I still look for his bright face while having a chat to every people he would be talking in every place he would go. He left the world, definitely leave a deep mark on my heart. He will surely be missed by me and more who have been inspired by his travels and thoughts.
He is really off to the parts unknown.
“There is no Final Resting Place of the Mind.” --Anthony Bourdain
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