An absolute legend, Anthony Bourdain, over the course of his wildly prolific career, taught us so much—about eating, about traveling, and about experiencing the world with an open mind and heart. Below is highlight of the best bits of wisdom Bourdain had to offer, thanks to MUNCHIES. (Words - Munchies Staff).
“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.” (The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones)
”One constant, then and now, is my still ironclad ground rule regarding music both during and after work: In any kitchen where I am in control, there is a strict NO Billy Joel, NO Grateful Dead policy. If you are seen visibly enjoying either act, whether during or even after your working hours, you can clean out your locker now. You’re fired.” (The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones)
“That’s the kind of satisfaction no bestseller can ever beat—no television show, no crowd, no nothing. That single moment after a long and very busy night, sitting down at the bar with your colleagues, wiping the sweat off your neck, taking a deep breath, with unspoken congratulations all around—and then that first sip of cold, cold beer.” (Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook)
“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel—as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them—wherever you go. Use every possible resource you have to work in the very best kitchens that will have you—however little (if anything) they pay—and relentlessly harangue every possible connection, every great chef whose kitchen offers a glimmer of hope of acceptance… Money borrowed at this point in your life so that you can afford to travel and gain work experience in really good kitchens will arguably be better invested than any student loan.” (Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook)
“What does freedom mean? I don’t know that either, I guess. For sure, it does mean the freedom to enjoy an afternoon no one thought possible only a little while ago. The freedom at least to joke, to laugh, to be for a while, relatively carefree.” (Parts Unknown, Libya)
