How to begin this morning's blog?  To say that food is the subject matter would be simply wrong and fall short of explanation because of the extraordinary spirit that has been rattling around in my head since the news broke.  Anthony Bourdain, renowned chef, renegade, traveler, adventurer, and consumer of all life, took his own in France this week.  His curiosity lead him nearly everywhere on this earth, allowed him to try foods that I could never bring myself to smell, let alone put in my mouth.  He had a passion for food and drink, and an abiding respect for the people with whom he shared tables.  For some time, I have felt that the best writers are print journalists, perhaps because they have to meet daily deadlines, and crank out excellence at a sometimes frantic pace. Bourdain was that rare combination of journalist with an incredible written voice as well as spoken voice and visual presence.  But he was, above all, a storyteller.  He was a wordsmith of such profound and sublime talent that he reached millions around the world who read his books and watched his series Parts Unknown and No Reservations.  Although my words and photographs are woeful in comparison, I still felt compelled to do this blog.  I think he would have appreciated the photographs presented here, particularly the one below showing the skill with which this gentleman on the dock in Cabo San Lucas cut swordfish steaks.

cutting swordfish on dock in Cabo San Lucas

Bourdain was definitely an omnivore, savoring all parts (that is ALL parts) of beasts - both land and sea based.  The two shots below were taken at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, with Fujichrome Velvia film, and scanned for inclusion here.

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco 2

He got to know places by roaming the streets and exploring markets.  I would be surprised if he had not visited the Farmer's Market in Vienna, where fresh cheeses and fruits are in abundance...

Cheese, Farmer's market, Vienna

jack fruit, Farmer's Market, Vienna Austria

...or the Grote Markt in Antwerp, Belgium, another culinary wonder with foods and people from all over the planet.

Grote Markt, Antwerp, Belgium

One episode of the Parts Unknown series featured New Mexico.  I was never quite sure what he thought of the Land of Enchantment, or if he enjoyed his Frito Pie from the Five and Dime (formerly Woolworth's) on the Plaza in Santa Fe.  Any meal prepared with fresh ingredients, heart and soul, and shared leisurely with others over good conversation and drink was fine with him.  Whether it was in a back alley in Hanoi, or in a hotel in Beirut where he helped prepare meals for people trapped by conflict, Bourdain brought the world, its food, its cultures, and his adventures into the homes of many, and along with it, a new appreciation of common bonds at the table.  Bon Voyage for your next adventure, Anthony Bourdain.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@