Read: Kitchen Confidential

I’ve long been a lover of stories and wanted to share my favorites. As my first selection, I landed on the OG warrior of food and travel, Anthony Bourdain. His first, groundbreaking book, Kitchen Confidential was a game changer for me. His writing style, his raw and unfiltered characterizations and brutal honesty made me a fan. I as reflect on Tony, I am reminded of my dearly departed friend Karen, who shares many of his qualities … his love of food and travel, of calling a spade a spade, and of challenging all of us to think a little deeper.

“I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime 'associates,' food, for me, has always been an adventure”n— Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential.

And from my Facebook post on June 8, 2018 …

A few years ago, my sister and I shared an awesome and very entertaining evening seeing Anthony Bourdain. This is a quote of his that I found afterward that I wrote in my journal. "Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt." May we all have the courage to make the world a better place and to share a table often with those we love, with new friends and with inspiring global citizens. RIP Tony.