"no reservations" news and stories

You might already know this is you've clicked on any of the No Reservations ads on our site, but I just found out myself that Anthony Bourdain has a new blog. It's over at the Travel Channel site.

Bourdain has kept blogs before. He's been writing about Top Chef and has entries at other food blogs once in a while, but if I'm not mistaken this is the first permanent blog that he's had. Hopefully he'll keep it up even after the season of No Reservations is over. If the first few entries are any indication, it might be fun.

The more I read by Anthony Bourdain and the more I see him on television, the more I like him. He's not always an instantly appealing character (he can be downright prickly at times) but I love that he does not fear saying what is exactly on his mind, and in the vast expanse of watered down pap that is the Food Network these days, the fact that they are replaying A Cook's Tour gives me hope.

TV Guide currently has an interview up with Bourdain that is a fun read. He comes off as honest and forthright, but without as much of the biting snark that he is known for. I found it especially endearing that he quit smoking because he didn't want to smoke around his baby daughter (I realize that that is what all good parents should do, but with his tough exterior, it's nice to see that he wants to change for his child).

[via Celebrity Chefs]

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This is an announcement primarily for those of you in the Philadelphia area (where I happen to be). Anthony Bourdain, that globe-trotting chef and writer, is going to be appearing at the main branch of the Philadelphia Free Library this Saturday (December 1st) for free. He'll be reading from his book, No Reservations, and answering some audience questions as well. His talk starts at 2 pm, but I'm guessing that there will be something of a line for this one, so it is probably best to arrive early.

[via TV Food Fan]

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Last week, someone brought up the movie Babette's Feast in conversation. I was immediately swept back to the first time I saw it. I was 12 or 13 and it was a Saturday night. My mom had heard good things about it and so checked it out from the local library. We settled down on the couch in the family room to watch it and were completely swept away. I remember that at one point we paused VCR (ah, the good old days) in order to run to the kitchen and make tea. We weren't regular tea drinkers, its just that the film, with it's chilly, windswept settings and visuals of tea poured from pots, made us long to be holding steaming mugs of our own.

Thinking about that movie got me thinking about other food movies and as luck would have it, Cinematical just recently put together a list of seven movies that appeal to the foodie in all of us. Oddly, Babette's Feast (or Tampopo for that matter) isn't on the list, but I heartily approve of all the other offerings (although I recommend that you make sure you get Mostly Martha and steer clear of the American version, No Reservations). If you're looking for film that will inspire you and make you just a little bit hungry, this list is an excellent starting place.

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• You don't have to cook your pasta sauces.
• How to catch and cook a Maine lobster.
• The research behind the movie No Reservations.
• This couple collects old and rare cookbooks.
• Meals fit for a queen.
• A cool tool for your corn on the cob.
• This week's recipes: Mussels with Wine, Mussels with Saffron and Tomatoes, Oaxacan Potatoes, Plum Ketchup, Ballpark Mustard, and Peach-Cornmeal Muffins.