A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain

Bristling with profanity, Anthony Bourdain's latest non-fiction book, "A Cook's Tour, In search of the Perfect Meal" continues the gonzo food related non-fiction tradition that he started in Kitchen Confidential.

I couldn't put this book down even though it overflows with profanity, casual drug use and excessive alcohol consumption none of which I condone!

Why? Because despite the profane bluster, Bourdain has a good story to tell and he tells it from the heart and he genuinely loves food and people.

Even if you are not convinced and have a faint stomach for tales of pig and other animal slaughter and harrowing escapes during a quest for exotic food in all corners of the earth, the chapters on Vietnamese food and Thomas Keller's French Laundry restaurant in Napa would make any foodie smile! Indeed they are written so compellingly that they alone are worth reading the book for.

And as an extra bonus, sprinkled throughout the book are a hilarious and insightful series of anecdotes entitled, "Reasons Why You don't Want to Be on Television" where he explains the pain and moral anguish caused by the tedium required to film the TV series that accompanies this book.

I am eagerly awaiting his next book!

A Cook's Tour, In Search of the Perfect Meal by Anthony Bourdain, published by Bloomsbury, 2001