Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

New Book Remembering Anthony Bourdain is the Perfect Tribute to the Late Legend

Sri Lanka David Scott Holloway

A year ago, it is no exaggeration to say the world was rocked when the news broke that Anthony Bourdain had taken his own life. Like many other celebrity deaths, it was a jarring experience for just about everyone. Even if you weren’t part of the culinary world, you knew who the fast-talking, sharp-witted, and insightful chef from New Jersey was. Not only was a food and television icon gone, but Bourdain’s death brought (back) to light just how terrible depression can be. It doesn’t matter if you get paid to travel and drink and eat, depression can still be a killer. With the anniversary of his death coming up on June 8, CNN has released a book, Anthony Bourdain Remembered, that attempts to show just what Bourdain meant to the world.

Immediately following his death, CNN — which produced his hit show Parts Unknown — set up a page for people to share their thoughts on the matter.

Related Videos

“Thousands of people of all ages, from all over the world, weighed in. His appeal crossed every boundary,” Amy Entelis, Executive Vice President for Talent and Content Development for CNN Worldwide, writes in the foreword.

“Thousands of people of all ages, from all over the world, weighed in. His appeal crossed every boundary.”

CNN then took those feelings and collected them and paired them with photos of Bourdain from all of his journeys, all of which are almost sure to bring a sad smile to your face. What is clear even after flipping just a few pages, is that it wasn’t just about food or drink for Bourdain. It was about the people behind whatever was on the plate or in the glass. The human story was always central to what he did, and that is his legacy – behind every great meal isn’t just a starred chef, but a team of incredibly hard-working line cooks, dishwashers, and more who are just as integral parts of that meal as the person whose name is on the marquee.

More than that, what Bourdain did was about the people who might never otherwise get a spotlight. The cooks in parts of the world that tourists may never visit who are producing amazing things. What he did, too, was not just show them as a spectacle – look, here is this amazing food, take it in – but he showed the humanity in it all, he showed what happens when strangers sit down at a table together to share a meal.

As Bryan says, “I was born in Burma but grew up in NYC, and his first episode was about Burma (Myanmar). It was such an honor. I respect the man and his work – not only for all his talents but his attitude toward the marginalized populations. He was respectful and an honorable man.”

Marseille, France CNN Staff

Page after page of Remembered repeats these thoughts in every way, shape, and form. From some of the most famous chefs in the world (Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud), to people who we will only ever know by a first name and an initial, everyone weighs in on what Bourdain did for them. For some of those people, it’s about travel and understanding how to interact with cultures that are not one’s own. For others, they reflected on knowing him in a professional context as a chef.

Chef and author Jonathan Waxman sums it up perfectly: “Tony Bourdain was the revolutionary of the food universe. He literally changed the landscape.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Anthony Bourdain Remember is available now from Ecco Press. You can pick up a copy here.

Editors' Recommendations

Want a gorgeous, perfectly browned steak? Use water (yes, really)
This counterintuitive method will give you a beautifully browned steak every time
Porter-House-Steak

Every once in a while, a new piece of information comes along that goes against everything we've been taught, and it's pretty mind-blowing. It turns out, cursive is useless, Pluto isn't a planet, and we actually do carry around a calculator with us all the time (sorry, 1990s-era teachers). From time to time, these new truths hit the food world as well, and when they do, it's pretty exciting.

For as long as we can remember, the key to a good sear on steak has been fat and fast, high heat. Anything else would create a greyish, lackluster piece of meat that was hardly appetizing. But there's a new trick in town — water. While cooking a steak in water sounds pretty counterintuitive when it comes to proper searing, if done the right way, this technique can create a beautifully browned, perfectly seared, deliciously juicy piece of meat. So, how is this possible, you ask?

Read more
This is the secret to fluffy, moist, downright perfect bread
It's time to get to know Tangzhong
tips for making bread at home element5 digital h5rgwo1 f u unsplash

The art of bread making is an ancient one, its techniques, methods, and even recipes passed down for centuries. Of course, bread is a staple of the human diet. It fills and nourishes our bodies with rich grains and sustaining carbohydrates. And if done correctly, a homemade loaf can be one of the most beautifully perfect, decadent indulgences imaginable. A tenderly sliced piece of made-from-scratch, fluffy bread, warm from the oven, slathered in fresh butter is one of life's greatest pleasures. For those who enjoy baking, the process can also be a therapeutic and peaceful one. Kneading, stretching, and rolling dough into submission can feel like magic happening in your bare hands.

But for those of us who aren't Nancy Silverton, making bread at home can come with its frustrations. All of that hard work, effort, and mess resulting in a dry, humdrum loaf is truly heartbreaking and can send you running for the bakery before you can say "sourdough starter." But there is a solution, one that can give your homemade rolls, sandwich breads, and even sweet rolls like cinnamon buns a flakey, pillowy, soft, and buttery texture every time. That solution is called "Tangzhong."

Read more
3-ingredient Nutella muffins may be your new food obsession
These mini Nutella muffins are just as delicious as they are simple to make
nutella muffin recipe muffins 2

There are easy recipes. And then there are recipes so easy you have to stop and ask yourself — really? This can't possibly be worth even the two minutes of prep time and dirty dishes to wash. We'll be honest; most of the time, you'd be right. Many of the "easy" recipes out there that are advertised as being simple and delicious, just aren't. They're either far more complicated than you signed up for, or, they were in fact easy to make, but left you pretty dissatisfied in the end. You would think that this muffin recipe would hardly be worth your while with a mere three ingredients, but you would be wrong.

Born in the early days of COVID, due to the basic need for something sweet paired frustratingly with empty grocery store shelves, this clever food blogger created a deliciously decadent, perfectly poppable, Nutella-flavored, mini muffin dream.

Read more