Until today, I'd only had a casual relationship with Anthony Bourdain; slightly acquainted through bits of pieces of episodes of "No Reservations" I've just happened to flip through on the Travel channel. But tonight, I sat down and watched a marathon of episodes, including his new show 'The Layover' and absolutely fell in love with this man. (You know that phrase 'ugly sexy'? He's the perfect definition of this.)
Other than food, my other passion is traveling. I developed a severe case of wanderlust after my first trip to Japan in 2007 and it hasn't seemed to calm down yet. I'm constantly making mock itineraries in my head of where I would go, perusing Travel sites and scouting Kayak for cheap fares. I would probably sell my soul to the Devil (if I hadn't already sold it for a Tickle Me Elmo in the 90s) to be able to be a travel and food writer full-time. But eating is certainly a lot cheaper then traveling, and so you've got this blog to read instead.
In case you're not familiar, Anthony Bourdain is this sexy, sass-mouthed New Yorker who travels the world eating the things you're afraid to eat and doing the things you're afraid to do; basically you live your life vicariously through Tony. He loves lamb balls (yes, testicles) and despises vegetarians. He also talks a lot of shit in the process. (It's that whole rugged "New Yorker without a filter" thing.) From talking about how he would eat a Spam sushi roll while stoned at 2 AM, to wanting to dip his penis into a container of fake cheese, to comparing a barbecued cow's cheek to an erect nipple - he's essentially my dream man.
This is really just kind of a bullshit filler post, I suppose, but I'm gonna share some of my favorite Bourdain-isms that I kind of think parallel my own philosophies as far as food and traveling are concerned. So enjoy!
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“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”
"Any place that refuses to serve you a burger under medium temperature is basically on the side of the Terrorists."
"PETA doesn't want stressed animals to be cruelly crowded into sheds, ankle-deep in their own crap, because they don't want any animals to die-ever-and basically think chickens should, in time, gain the right to vote. I don't want animals stressed or crowded or treated cruelly or inhumanely because that makes them probably less delicious."
