In Charleston, I picked up a copy of Kitchen Confidential, written by the great Anthony Bourdain.

I always enjoyed Anthony Bourdain, but I can’t say that I was a “fan” of his. I wasn’t familiar enough with his work to truly feel the impact of his passing. Reading this book has changed that for me.

What made Bourdain great wasn’t his skill as a writer, or even his skill as a chef. It was his unique ability to articulate the true human connections that food creates and how food intersects relationships and cultural divides that words simply can not.

“Food is a story” he says.

When someone cooks for you, they are telling you a story about who they are. They are sharing with you a piece of their dignity.

I really loved this book. I loved hearing Bourdain’s war stories, but I also loved hearing his love stories.

Bourdain loves food. He loves kitchens. He loves chefs. He loves the kinds of people that chefs are. He loves the bravery attached to cooking for someone. The skill and courage required to put a plate of food in front of someone and say “this is what I’ve made, and I’ve made this for you.”