Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain is the story of Bourdain's initiation into the world of food and the love for the culinary arts which fuels Bourdain's life and career.
Bourdain is introduced to French food during a summer vacation to Europe as a young boy, and recalls that the taste of vichyssoise was the impetus for his love of food. Spurning many of the dishes served to him during this vacation, Bourdain's senses come alive when given the opportunity to taste French provincial food, including oysters fresh from the sea.