Hungry For More? Bits and Scraps From Around the World

If you crave food from around the world, Anthony Bourdain is going to serve it to you raw and fresh. In his book, The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usuable Trim, Scraps, and Bones, Bourdain has put together a compilation of his articles from the past few years that chronicle his samplings of cuisine and culture on trips stateside and across the pond. Just like his Travel Channel show, No Reservations, Bourdain is blunt and witty in this book as he inspires you to get an authentic taste of how another part of the world lives.

You may indeed recognize some of the articles from earlier episodes of his show such as his trip to the Hudson Bay in Northeastern Canada. Bourdain goes on a seal hunt with a family patriarch and then comes home and sits on the kitchen floor with the rest of the family to partake in the dissecting of the prized animal for dinner. I wasn’t squeamish watching the event on TV because I read the article first and Bourdain reminds readers that family traditions no matter how unusual serve to unify families – certainly a sentimental event with no trace of queasiness.

My favorite essay in the book was Tony’s trip to an English pub, his expectations high for a relaxing afternoon with a Guinness, cigarette, and nothing else. Expectations came crashing down when a waiter came over to offer him a progressive gastro pub dish – some osso bucco perhaps? Bourdain was outraged that the classic fare such as fish and chips or steak and kidney pie seemed to no longer be the norm and he blacked out for fear genuine pub culture was on its way out of the country.

You will be laughing at stories like these as Bourdain travels everywhere from his hometown of New York to Singapore, Brazil, and Las Vegas. All of these locales are divided into six parts within the book – salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami, and a taste of fiction. He adds in his observations on kitchen culture around the world, a particular interest to the former chef, and as if that weren’t enough Bourdain comments on his articles at the end of the book to give you some insight as to why he wrote what he wrote.

I had been a fan of his show before I read this book but after reading it in its entirety I went back to my DVR and recorded a slew of his episodes that I hadn’t seen before because I was hungry for more and you will be too after you get a taste of his adventures.

Available on Amazon

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