Squint. Use your imagination. It's really Bourdain.

Somewhere early on Bourdain told us that he'd spent part of the day signing 1400 books, that Portland had put him on the best seller list! He did sell out both shows put on by Powells Books--a signed book came with the ticket.


Maybe here he's talking about how to keep his daughter out of the clutches of the Clown, the King and the Colonel. You'll have to read the book, "Medium Raw," for the whole story.


It seems to me that Bourdain couldn't talk without using his hands. I know Southerners do that--I'm one of them. Do New Jerseyans talk with their hands, too? They must. You can see the blurry evidence right here. What do they call people from New Jersey anyway? I found New Jersyans at Famous New Jerseyans Dot Com and at About New Jersey Dot Com.


Bourdain opened up the floor for questions, the floor and the balcony. I even managed to get to ask him a question, from the second row, stage left, thanks to Lamont's "Down front!" or something like that. Anyway, I asked, "You're such a good story teller. Do you come from a tradition of story telling?" Bourdain explained, in so many words, that indeed he did come from such a tradition, story tellers in the kitchen that is, those who stand around on break, or sit down together after the kitchen closes and tell about what went on when ... well, I can't remember exactly what he said, and even if I could I would not type it here. After all, he's Anthony Bourdain, and he's some kinda profane!


A blissful hour gone by--filled with Bourdain's tidbits from "Medium Raw" and his answers to questions from throughout the Bagdad, plus his swallowing of two shots of Maker's Mark that two different guys in the audience asked if they could buy for him--and he showered smiles as he blithely walked off, stage left.

All too short. I'm on page 227 of 281 in "Medium Raw." I recommend it to those of you who are Bourdain-o-philes. I am certain that those of you who know him not would be somewhat shocked. If you're interested in reading Bourdain for the first time, start with "Kitchen Confidential," then "A Cook's Tour," then, "The Nasty Bits," then "Medium Raw." I myself have somehow missed "No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach." I'll let you know about it one of these days. And be sure to catch his Travel Channel program, "No Reservations." Hearing him on the show lends his quirky, mellifluous voice to every single word that you read.