Sunday, September 30, 2007

Section 2 Summary, Personal Reaction, and Loaded Words

My Ten Loaded Words:
1. Ballet (55)
-Has a positive connotation, and presents an idea of grace about the cook-lines' operations.
2. Mindless (56)
-Has a negative connotation, describing the refined monotony of the cook-line.
3. Punks (57)
-Has a negative connotation, showing Bourdain's opinion of the "mentally weak" American chefs; ignorant and egotistical.
4. Mystical (60)
-Has a positive connotation, describing the methodical, and even superstitious "feng-shui" of a chef's working station.
5. Submarine-Like (61)
-Has a negative connotation, expressing the cramped feeling the grill and saute workers experience at their boiling hot station.
6. Artists (62)
-Has a negative connotation, explaining Bourdain's view of annoying, high maintenance cooks whose delusions of grandeur irritate their co-workers.
7. Biohazard (67)
-Has a negative connotation, used to describe hollandaise sauce, which is apparently a breeding ground for bacteria.
8. Rube (69)
-Has a negative connotation, illustrating foolish people who are actually willing to pay for a meal that is cooked well done, and in doing so recieve the bottom of the barrel scraps that have been held over until their arrival.
9. Reassuring (75)
-Has a positive connotation; this is one of the feelings that Bourdain encounters when eating simple, homemade food.
10. Boner (76)
-Has a negative connotation; Bourdain sarcastically describes people who get themselves excessively worked up over shiny, brand name cookware.

Summary:
Bourdain describes less of the actual characters he encounters, but rather focuses on the general goings-on and mood of the cook-line; it is a place of repetition and copies. The purpose is to make the same dish people like exactly the same way again and again. He also touches on traditions and methods in the kitchen, as well as what tools are essential for excellent food coming from a non professional, freely giving his opinion of scams, cons, and commercialized ideas. Bourdain then ends with a vague, yet very focused look onto the man whom he credits for teaching him how to be a professional, and how to run a successful operation in the restaurant world.

Reaction:
I find it interesting how Bourdain frequently jumps between life stories, general knowledge, and sarcastic(yet helpful) advice throughout this second section. He conveys an intimate feel of the kitchen and what happens inside it, as well as providing a detailed background into the mind of a successful chef and restaurateur.

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