Going off the boil

Medium Raw

The book’s massive success rescued the 45-year-old, penniless ex-drug addict from the long, slow decline of the wage-slave cook.

Almost overnight, he swapped gravy boat for gravy train, retiring as a professional cook to become a professional writer, globe-trotting TV host, and best mate to the world’s top chefs. A couple of crime novels had tanked and, in despair, Bourdain cranked out KC, believing it would provoke a knowing chuckle from the handful of New York catering industry workers who would ever read it. In fact, it inspired a whole new generation to enter the professional kitchen.