A Cook’s Tour: Book Review

Today, we will be reviewing A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by Anthony Bourdain, a traveling around the world about trying new dishes. Keep reading to find out what we thought of this book and if you should read it next!

A Cook’s Tour Summary

Anthony Bourdain’s first book was a surprising success and now, he wants to leave the kitchen and travel the world and try new food all around the world. Bourdain is accompanied by a TV crew as they record his adventures for a television series for the Food Network.

The goal of this journey is to travel to places all over the world such as Japan, Portugal, Morocco, Cambodia, and France and try exotic dishes. Not every adventure is safe and Bourdain has to eat dishes that many people wouldn’t look twice it. But Bourdain is determined to try new experiences and enjoy new dishes even if it may lead to him having an upset stomach hours later.

Commentary

I picked by this book on a whim and did not know what was in store for me. Bourdain is a chef who rose to fame unexpectedly with his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. 

A Cook’s Tour was released in 2001 alongside his TV show with the same name. Bourdain had been writing for over a decade and when you read his books, you can tell that he has a way with words. His writing style, attention to detail, and raw disposition make his books easy to read.

When you are reading A Cook’s Tour, you don’t see a chef trying new dishes but an adventurer finally deciding that they will travel the world and experience it for himself. In Bourdain, I saw myself and I am sure that many readers felt the same.

Few authors can travel the world and have an open mind, try cheap food and think it is one of the best experiences of their lives. Bourdain was unique and many readers and TV viewers connected with him as a result. Even critics loved this book because it went on to be named the 2002 Food Book of the Year by the British Guild of Food Writers.

This book was a delight to read and I enjoyed seeing different cultures through Bourdain’s eyes. He is raw and honest and you can feel all his conflicting emotions and will easily forget that he is a chef at times. 

Conclusion

I don’t often find myself reading nonfiction books but when I come across a book like this, I know I am in for a treat. Anthony Bourdain knows how to tell a story and he has many amazing ones to share. Don’t be surprised if I end up reviewing even more books by him in the near future. Happy reading!

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