Bourdain Premiere Tonight!
(photo by Diane Schutz)
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations premieres tonight - with yours truly - at 10PM ET/PT on the Travel Channel! Remember that's 9PM CT for all my family and friends in Chicago! Mom and Dad that's channel 83 for you!
Later this week - so there are no spoilers - I'll post a guide to all the locations for my episode "Why the French Don't Suck".
But I'm in Paris - so I won't see it! So this time - in a strange twist - I get to live my life vicariously through you! Please tell me how it was and what you thought - and in what country you saw it. And please tell me what you ate! Anyone doing weekly AB: NR themed dinners? This week would be good - next week - Iceland - would be challenging - but still fun. Thanks - and happy viewing!
hey lookin so "parisienne" louisa, i got a season pass on my tivo based on your posts here (california), i'm sure i'll enjoy it
Posted by: daniel | 25 July 2005 at 00:30
Louisa are you standing on something? or is AB standing in a small hole? Because you're about my size and AB towers over me much more than he seems to be with you!
Posted by: susan | 25 July 2005 at 05:40
Daniel - coming from you - a native Parisian - then it's got to be true! I love your site BTW
http://2kewl4u.com/
very elegant and funny.
Tivo - I'm so out of it here - I don't even have my television hooked up yet! Hope you enjoy the show - with your visiting family!
Susan - are you accusing me and Tony of pulling a reverse Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes? I mean only in terms of height - not that whole Scientology - er, I mean, romance thing. No, I'm not standing on something! And Tony's Tony - he don't stand in no small holes! I'm just tall for a Chinese girl - comes from my maternal grandmother's side - not always evident when sitting at a dinner table - or working over a cutting board.
Posted by: Louisa | 25 July 2005 at 07:53
Booo! Not in Mexico yet. According to the guide, the Travel Channel tonight is replaying "Tourismo Culinario," Bourdain's previous show. Hope they get you subtitled and on the tube here soon.
Posted by: Will T | 25 July 2005 at 14:32
Louisa, don't you believe the tabloids? Tom and Katie really really REALLY do love each other and it's not a publicity stunt and he's not gay! And he was REALLY as tall as Nicole! :)
Anyway, I asked my mother to tape your show but she's not very good at programming the recorder. I am keeping my fingers crossed - maybe I'll see it, maybe I won't.
Posted by: susan | 25 July 2005 at 21:15
I'm watching it now! It's great. I am *SO* jealous.
I just finished some leftover Peach Crumble that I cooked on Saturday. I had dinner (if you can call it that) at work, so just dessert at home.
Dinner sucked: salt-free baked chicken, garlic mashed potatoes (not enough garlic and an obscene amount of margarine), and baby carrots cooked to the "baby food" stage.
I need a new job.
Posted by: ha3rvey | 25 July 2005 at 21:56
You looked great! Too bad you're not the "fixer" in other countries. Love your site!
Posted by: Zoe | 25 July 2005 at 23:02
Louisa, I'm the mother of two son who cook in Portland, Oregon, one a line cook, the other a sous chef. I live in Jackson, Mississippi.
To learn as much as possible about what consumes so much of their time and to try to understand why they love it so, I've read both of AB's books and was lucky to be home this evening to catch the premiere. As soon as it came on, I called Leland, the line cook who is off on Mondays, and told him to be on the look-out for the show. In a little while I'll call Lamont, the sous chef, who is working tonight, and tell him all about it--as much as a lay person can remember--and I'll e-mail him the schedule that I finally found so they can catch a re-run. I even found the picture of you and the crew in Paris. I thought that your part in the Rungis Market was fascinating--both of my sons have learned at Three Doors Down Cafe in Portland from chef/owner Dave Marth how to use every part of any critter so that nothing is wasted as well as how to use seasonal, local ingredients. Seeing those boars and birds and such made me understand even more what my sons feel so deeply--their love of food and cooking it so that others may enjoy themselves.
Sorry this is so long, but I just felt compelled to write. I've never posted before except for this evening on the "No Reservations" Web site, and now on this one.
Posted by: Lynette Hanson | 25 July 2005 at 23:47
Hi, Louisa!
I'm watching it right now (its second showing at 10pm HST)--Oh! Louisa! It's you! How fantastic! :)
Anyway, I think the show's great. I do wish less time was spent on the absinthe hallucinations. (come on! show us more of paris!) But it's a good change from the usual travel shows, and Bourdain's pretty funny. Can't wait for the next episode!
Oooh, can't wait to find out which bakery he visited. And AB: NR theme dinners, I didn't know! Iceland sounds too difficult, I'll wait for the next country. :)
Posted by: Embla | 26 July 2005 at 03:59
forgive my ignorance, but could you explain what a "fixer" is?
Posted by: esther | 26 July 2005 at 07:53
Hey Louise,
Watched it last night while eating some mochi and a slice of toast with almond butter. Thanks for the tour of the market!
Posted by: Quinn | 26 July 2005 at 12:17
Sorry for misspelling your name Louisa :I
Posted by: Quinn | 26 July 2005 at 12:18
Will - "Tourismo Culinario" - I love it! And no way subtitles - I want to be dubbed - with the poorly synced lips and everything. ;)
Susan - hey hey hey! Watch what you imply about Tom and Katie around here! I don't have a legal team y'know! ;) And you asked your mom to program a VCR? Are you going to ask her to do the shuttle launch too? ;)
ha3rvey - I'm jealous about your peach crumble! I had the worst peach crumble at the Taste of Chicago - I wish I could erase the taste memory. And yes, sadly your dinner sounds like it majorly sucked!
Zoe - LOL! So that white paper jacket over the big puffy coat is a good look? And yes, how fun would the job of international AB: NR fixer be?
Lynette - thank you so much. I'm speechless. Leland and Lamont are so lucky to have you - especially all the way across the country. Their source of dedication and compassion is clear. I wish you and your family all the best. Thank you so much again.
Embla - thanks! And the next country after Iceland is New Jersey!
Esther - oh no, "fixer" is just one of those made-up, slang words - it's just someone who "fixes" things - fixes things - sets them up.
Quinn - mochi with toast and almond butter! That sounds so good! Where did you get the almond butter? I'm a big nut butter fan!
Posted by: Louisa | 26 July 2005 at 16:37
I bought the almond butter at Wild Oats in Long Beach. As soon as my wife and I finish off the rest of it, we're going for the cashew and macadamia. Happy eating!
Posted by: Quinn | 26 July 2005 at 17:52
My goodness, Louisa. I was so tickled to read your comment just now. I have to tell you that my mother and I were just in Portland visiting the guys, and I found my second copy of "Kitchen Confidential" at a great big Goodwill store. Now I have one I can write in if I want to make notes.
Books mean a lot to my life—I'm a librarian at a middle school. Truth be told, I love words, period. And I'm lucky to be able to write for the Jackson Free Press, a weekly alternative paper here in Jackson. When I reviewed that book as a potential Christmas present two Christmases ago, I said something along the lines of "If I'd read this book prior to my sons starting to cook, I would have said, 'Run, boys, run!' Instead, reading it made me even more curious about what goes on in kitchens where people are willing to work their butts off so that diners in the front of the house can live it up.
And guess what, Quinn? While in Portland I walked four blocks from the guys' apartment to a Wild Oats, not realizing it was a natural/health/foods emporium. I was in search of peanut butter and bread—Mama and I wanted to eat in, and being good-ole-girl Southerners, we were craving peanut butter. I didn't know I'd end up stirring and stirring and stirring it, but it was worth the effort. The small batch wheat bread was superb, too. A day later I walked back and bought a cantaloupe and a honeydew so that I could take a picture for my column about immersion blenders and melon soup—that had to have been the juiciest, sweetest, most sublime honeydew ever.
Was your almond butter freshly made or in a jar? I want to look for it the next time I'm out there.
Posted by: Lynette Hanson | 26 July 2005 at 22:56
Quinn - after you first mentioned the almond butter, I had to look it up - and found mention of cashew butter too! But macadamia butter - that sounds really good! That is one nut butter that I might like crunchy. I might have to commandeer a Thermomix at work to make some for myself. ;)
Lynette - LOL! I just love the images of you and your mom - two nice Southern ladies - picking up the copy of Kitchen Confidential at Goodwill AND of you both stirring the peanut butter! I love "natural" peanut butter too - but that stirring can drive you crazy when you just want a quick PB&J!
Posted by: Louisa | 27 July 2005 at 07:22
Lynette,
The almond butter was in a jar, and like your pb it needs to be stirred and stirred. Quite tasty on a slice of lightly toasted wheat bread! :)
Posted by: Quinn | 27 July 2005 at 12:17
Louisa, you weren't at Fegus Henderson's Blue Hill / Stone Barns dinner a couple months ago, were you?
Posted by: Scott | 27 July 2005 at 14:08
What a great site..friend recommended it after discussion on Paris AOL travel board.
LOVED No Reservations..just a shame only 1 nite for Paris!
Now that you know what work it is to stir natural peanut butter, doesn't it make you wonder what is really in good old Jif???? Never needs stirring...hummmm. What chemicals are there to prevent separation???
Posted by: StLSusan | 27 July 2005 at 15:29
Hi Louisa,
I just saw it (on dvr), and you got a lot of air time! You did great. When we make it to Paris one day, I want you to take us for a roast beef sandwich and red wine for breakfast.
Were you trippin' on absinthe behind camera as well? I mean . . . for research, of course.
Posted by: Josh | 27 July 2005 at 21:08
Mama is 80, my Aunt Baker is 72, and both of them got a kick out of the peanut butter's needing to be stirred. Mama called Aunt Baker back home in Puckett, Mississippi and told her what a mess I was making, stirring it. "Aunt Baker said to tell you that's all we used to have, peanut butter you had to stir," Mama told me, laughing.
Just now I've asked Mama how many years ago that was. She looked over at me and said, "Heck, Lynette, I don't know when I stirred my last peanut butter." I laughed and laughed. Then she said she believed she was still stirring it after she and Daddy had married (that would have been 65 years this coming August if Daddy were still with us). I called Aunt Baker and she got a good laugh out of it, too.
I cannot imagine how good that almond butter must taste.
StLSusan: As for the chemicals, that's too dreary a thought for me just now, especially since we have a brand new jar of Peter Pan Reduced Fat Creamy in the cabinet. We ought to know better, but I guess you could just call us a couple of gutless wonders.
Posted by: Lynette Hanson | 27 July 2005 at 21:30
FANTASTIC. At least you were, Bourdain gets on my nerves. He can be entertaining sometimes but only in small doses. I set my VCR so i could see it. What's up with the Rocco diss. He really killed him with that whole rat thing. Im sure you had a lot of fun working on that show. Were you around for the Absinthe segment? It was trippy. Anyways take care and remember: "It's all about the grand cuisine"
Posted by: chris edwards | 27 July 2005 at 23:53
just found this site - great place! and oh, paris, one of my favourite cities in the world and definitely agree that french don't suck!
have fun in your next destination, iceland! ;)
Posted by: Lil | 28 July 2005 at 04:40
Ahhh, almond butter. We started buying it after discovering that one of the little ones is allergic to peanuts. I've tried making it at home in the food processor with mixed success. I've also tried pecan butter (YUM!)
One day, after I graduate from culinary school and get a bit (okay, a lot) more experience, I want to open my own little bistro. For lunch, I want to do a "PB&J": toasted brioche with pecan butter and blackberry jam.
Posted by: ha3rvey | 28 July 2005 at 10:00
Scott - sadly that was not me at the Fergus Barn dinner! I have a twin? Good or evil? Were you eating or cooking there?
StLSusan - please thank your friend on the AOL Paris board for the rec - and welcome! And yes, I would love to see a whole series on the real Paris! As for PB - the new Natural Skippy that my sister Annie turned me on to surprisingly only has roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and salt in its ingredient list.
Josh - thanks! Hey - you were just over here in Europe in Italy - you could've stopped by! And yes, absolutely, rosbif and red wine it will be. Absinthe trippin' - one does what one must. ;)
Lynette - I'd like to think that with Mama at 80 and Aunt Baker at 72, they're doing something right and that seems to include their fair share of peanut butter! :)
Chris - so glad you saw it! And I think the Rocco rat thing was more aimed at the Rocco Restaurant thing - I think since I haven't seen the show yet myself. And yes, of course I was around for the absinthe thing - you would love that stuff. And yes, the grand cuisine - I never forget.
Lil - thanks so much! But they went off to Iceland without me! You will be able to enjoy that episode on Monday!
ha3rvey - did someone say toasted brioche? I am addicted to the stuff! I want one of your PB&Js now!
Posted by: Louisa | 28 July 2005 at 13:38