Batali, Bourdain and Buford, live at the NYPL

I had a great time seeing Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain and Bill Buford chat at the NYPL last week—if you didn't get tickets before it sold out, don't blame me, 'cause it's not like I didn't tell you about it in advance. I wanted to write a long piece except that I was mostly too busy laughing to take lots of notes. $15 well spent! Here are four of the things I managed to scribble down that I think you'll appreciate:

• Batali, on Charlie Trotter's anti-foie gras stance: "At some point you have to realize you're on the top of the food chain, and that's all there is to it."
• Bourdain, on Rachel Ray: "40 dollars a day? Tip, bitch!"
• Audience: "Is [getting] fat an occupational hazard?" Bourdain: "They just don't smoke enough." (He should know, as he's supposed to smoke like a chimney and is a beanpole compared to the rotund Batali and Buford.)
• Audience: "What's your favorite fat to cook with?" Batali: "Lard, olive oil." Bourdain: "Pork."

My favorite discussion, i.e. the one that made me wish I was taping the entire thing, was Bourdain discussing the culinary tipping point he calls the "sushi barrier". He posted about it on eGullet early last year:

My theory, for some time, has been that the most significant point in modern North American culinary history was that moment when Westerners decided it was alright--even desirable--to eat sushi. That barrier-crossing raised all boats for all chefs of every stripe. Suddenly it was permissable to serve mackerel, octopus, fish roes, sardines and other traditional European seafood that were once largely shunned. What chefs found to be acceptable quality in seafood lept--as there was always a Japanese restaurant willing to pay for the good stuff (hence creating reliable demand for more variety and better quality). And once the bone-deep aversion to eating raw fish disappeared, other barriers fell as well. The dining public became more daring and willing to experiment.

Did you see the three Bs talk? Did you enjoy Bill Buford's new book Heat or Anthony Bourdain's latest The Nasty Bits? Let  us know in the comments!

Comments

[Tana]

I love Bourdain for so many reasons...not his cigarettes, though, or his irrational love of the New York Yankees. : D

Have you seen the news story about how Revered Sun Myung Moon (him of the Moonies) has the sushi markets sewn up, profiting himself, for years and years now? Read this Chicago Tribune story.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/chi-0604sushi-1-story,0,3736876.story

Interesting, huh?

[josephine]

i must say that the foie gras comment is a fairly horrible one, and not something to laugh about at all. being on top of the food chain doesn't necessarily mean you have a right to force-feed animals. that's just cruel.

[Libbette]

I just ordered both books and am looking forward to some summer reading, so no comment on those yet. I was disappointed with Batali at this forum, though. Bourdain seemed to have the most interesting, thoughtful things to say, while Mario seemed content to make glib comments. I was also disappointed that Mario (who has major hiring power) didn't address the audience question about the racial makeup of kitchens and restaurants, and why they're not more diverse. Bourdain went to trouble to give a considered answer, while Batali seemed uncomfortable and shirked the question altogether.

[shuna fish lydon]

Libbette--
Might it be possible for you to say a bit more about how Bourdain answered this question? (If you have time.)

I am so rarely jealous of new yorkers. since I am from there and rarely miss actually living there this forum of which you speak gave me pause. I might have gotten on a plane just to be there had I been able to.

And as for foie gras, if Josephine really wants to talk about cruel she should be looking at how we treat the people who pick our produce, harvest grapes, the average life of a chicken breast or any other factory food. Ducks, if given free reign to eat as they please, will eat themselves to death. I would rather be a duck anywhere than a pig in the midwest or a hen laying eggs!

[Mercutia]

I am SO jealous right now I could scream. God, that sounds like fun!

Also, just added this blog to my favorites list. I can't *believe* I hadn't found you before!

[Libbette]

Oops -- just now saw shuna's question.

Bourdain basically acknowledged the inequalities, and mentioned that if the borders to Central and South America were closed, all New York restaurants would have to shut down. He said it's a problem he's aware of and bothered by, and he would love to sit and "have a drunken chat" about it, and that he had no good answers. He also mentioned looking out at a James Beard award dinner and seeing a sea of white faces, despite the aforementioned importance of minorities in kitchens. This may have contributed to Mario's discomfort, as he is often recognised by this institution.