Most Popular Books by Laurie Woolever

An Instant New York Times Bestseller! A candid, funny, and occasionally devastating memoir of a woman making her way through the food world, navigating addiction, a cultural reckoning, and an unexpected tragedy In this moving, hilarious, and insightful bestselling memoir, Laurie Woolever traces her path from a small-town childhood to working at revered restaurants and food publications, alternately bolstered and overshadowed by two of the most powerful men in the business. But there’s more to the story than the two bold-faced names on her resume: Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. Behind the scenes, Laurie’s life is frequently chaotic, an often pleasurable buffet of bad decisions at which she frequently overstays her welcome. Acerbic and wryly self-deprecating, Laurie attempts to carve her own space as a woman in this world that is by turns toxic and intoxicating. Laurie seeks to try it all—from a seedy Atlantic City strip club to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, from a hippie vegetarian co-op to the legendary El Bulli—while balancing her consuming work with her sometimes ambivalent relationship to marriage and motherhood. As the food world careens toward an overdue reckoning and Laurie’s mentors face their own high-profile descents, she is confronted with the questions of where she belongs and how to hold on to the parts of her life’s work that she truly values: care and feeding.

An unprecedented behind-the-scenes view into the life of Anthony Bourdain from the people who knew him best When Anthony Bourdain died in June 2018, fans around the globe came together to celebrate the life of an inimitable man who had dedicated his life to traveling nearly everywhere (and eating nearly everything), shedding light on the lives and stories of others. His impact was outsized and his legacy has only grown since his death. Now, for the first time, we have been granted a look into Bourdain''s life through the stories and recollections of his closest friends and colleagues. Laurie Woolever, Bourdain''s longtime assistant and confidante, interviewed nearly a hundred of the people who shared Tony''s orbit--from members of his kitchen crews to his writing, publishing, and television partners, to his daughter and his closest friends--in order to piece together a remarkably full, vivid, and nuanced vision of Tony''s life and work. From his childhood and teenage days, to his early years in New York, through the genesis of his game-changing memoir Kitchen Confidential to his emergence as a writing and television personality, and in the words of friends and colleagues including Eric Ripert, José Andrés, Nigella Lawson, and W. Kamau Bell, as well as family members including his brother and his late mother, we see the many sides of Tony--his motivations, his ambivalence, his vulnerability, his blind spots, and his brilliance. Unparalleled in scope and deeply intimate in its execution, with a treasure trove of photos from Tony''s life, Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography is a testament to the life of a remarkable man in the words of the people who shared his world.

A guide to some of the world’s most fascinating places, as seen and experienced by writer, television host, and relentlessly curious traveler Anthony Bourdain Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter—and many places beyond. In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places—in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable. Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook. For veteran travelers, armchair enthusiasts, and those in between, World Travel offers a chance to experience the world like Anthony Bourdain.

Written with the no-holds-barred ethos of his beloved series, No Reservations and Parts Unknown, the celebrity chef and culinary explorer’s first cookbook in more than ten years—a collection of recipes for the home cook. Anthony Bourdain is a man of many appetites. And for many years, first as a chef, later as a world-traveling chronicler of food and culture on his CNN series Parts Unknown, he has made a profession of understanding the appetites of others. These days, however, if he’s cooking, it’s for family and friends. Appetites, his first cookbook in more than ten years, boils down forty-plus years of professional cooking and globe-trotting to a tight repertoire of personal favorites—dishes that everyone should (at least in Mr. Bourdain’s opinion) know how to cook. Once the supposed "bad boy" of cooking, Mr. Bourdain has, in recent years, become the father of a little girl—a role he has embraced with enthusiasm. After years of traveling more than 200 days a year, he now enjoys entertaining at home. Years of prep lists and the hyper-organization necessary for a restaurant kitchen, however, have caused him, in his words, to have "morphed into a psychotic, anally retentive, bad-tempered Ina Garten." The result is a home-cooking, home-entertaining cookbook like no other, with personal favorites from his own kitchen and from his travels, translated into an effective battle plan that will help you terrify your guests with your breathtaking efficiency.

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • A comprehensive guide to the craft of baking bread, featuring more than 60 recipes filled with all the expertise and experience of the founder of Copenhagen’s Hart Bageri and former head baker at San Francisco’s Tartine. “Sourdough bakers have a serious contender for a new bread bible.”—Plate “Richard Hart restores the heart to bread baking.”—Yotam Ottolenghi Richard Hart Bread is the guide to the intuitive art of baking bread. By learning how to see, taste, touch, and adapt, readers can find their own way to making truly wonderful bread—from blistering sourdoughs to rich rye pan loaves and more. Rather than focusing obsessively on precise formulas, Richard teaches both aspiring and seasoned bakers all his key techniques without holding anything back. Through gorgeous photography, explanatory videos accessed on page through QR codes, and thorough descriptions of methods, you’ll have all the tools you need to make great breads. Rich in stories and Richard’s boundless enthusiasm, this book will make you fall ever deeper in love with bread.

Descubra alguns dos lugares mais fascinantes do mundo pelos olhos e vivências do escritor, apresentador de TV e viajante de curiosidade implacável Anthony Bourdain Anthony Bourdain conhecia o mundo como poucos. Suas viagens o levaram dos recônditos secretos de Nova York a casas comunais de tribos em Bornéu; da vida cosmopolita em Buenos Aires, Paris e Xangai aos cenários de beleza extraordinária da Tanzânia e de solidão deslumbrante do deserto de Rub’ al-Khali, no Omã. Em Volta ao mundo, esse vasto conjunto de experiências é apresentado em forma de um guia de viagens divertido, prático e objetivo, oferecendo um gostinho dos lugares selecionados pela memória afetiva de Bourdain. Narrado por Laurie Woolever, colaboradora e amiga de longa data, o livro traz as declarações sempre irreverentes do próprio, extraídas de suas milhares de horas de viagens gravadas em vídeo. Com dicas preciosas de lugares onde comer e se hospedar — e, em alguns casos, a evitar — e de locomoção, o guia contextualiza inúmeros locais que o apresentador considerava encantadores, memoráveis e fundamentais. E conta ainda com relatos de seus amigos, colegas de trabalho e familiares — como os comentários irônicos de seu irmão, Christopher, sobre uma viagem de carro por Nova Jersey, um tour pelos melhores recintos baratos onde comer em Chicago, proposto pelo lendário produtor musical Steve Albini, e muito mais —, além de trazer as ilustrações de Wesley Allsbrook. Para viajantes experientes, entusiastas que ainda não tiveram coragem de levantar do sofá e todos os perfis entre esses extremos, Volta ao mundo é uma chance de vivenciar o melhor do planeta à moda do eterno Anthony Bourdain.

Essentially Basque is a comprehensive cookbook from expert chef Ryan Bartlow and longtime Anthony Bourdain collaborator and food writer Laurie Woolever that spans the entire Basque region in Spain, a destination that is beloved by the food world for its fresh produce, delicious dishes, and more The Basque country, nestled between Spain and France, is legendary among chefs for its vibrant markets, deep culinary traditions, and a culture that prizes eating well. From rustic tavern fare to the refined techniques of Michelin-starred kitchens, it''s a place where food is a way of life. Ryan Bartlow spent his formative years cooking at Akelarre, a three Michelin-starred restaurant in San Sebastián, while living above a humble village tavern where croquetas, txuleta steaks, and simple red wine became his daily sustenance. Those experiences shaped him as a cook and continue to inspire his menus today at his acclaimed New York restaurants Ernesto''s and Bartolo. With just a handful of simple ingredients--potatoes, olive oil, eggs, shrimp, tomatoes, garlic--plus a few easily sourced Spanish staples like piquillo peppers, tinned fish, and paprika, Bartlow shows how to create dishes that are at once rustic and refined. Recipes include croquetas de jamón with creamy centers and crisp exteriors; the classic tortilla de patatas, custardy and tender; gildas, the iconic pintxo of anchovies, peppers, and olives; and the silkiest crème caramel you''ve ever tasted. Approachable and deeply flavorful, these are recipes designed for real home kitchens--no foams, no screaming-hot pans, no tricks, just food meant to be eaten with wine, cider, sherry, or beer among friends, family, or on your own while dreaming of San Sebastián. Alongside the recipes are thoughtful menus, plating tips, cocktail recipes, and a guide to the best Spanish products, Bartlow also includes a travel guide for those who want to explore the Basque country firsthand. Bringing together Bartlow''s most trusted recipes and techniques and the storytelling of Laurie Woolever--longtime collaborator of Anthony Bourdain--Essentially Basque captures the spirit of Spanish culture and distills one of the world''s most celebrated food regions into dishes any home cook can master.

"Anthony Bourdain vio más mundo que nadie. Sus viajes le llevaron desde los rincones más secretos de su Nueva York natal hasta una comuna tribal en Borneo, pasando por las cosmopolitas Buenos Aires, Paris y Shanghái hasta la impresionante belleza de Tanzania o la inmensa soledad del desierto de Omán. World Travel recoge las experiencias vitales del chef en una entretenida, práctica, divertida, irreverente y honesta guía de viajes que ofrece al lector una inmersión a algunos de los sitios favoritos de Bourdain, en sus propias palabras. Con consejos imprescindibles sobre cómo llegar, dónde comer, dónde hospedarse y, en algunos casos, qué evitar, esta guía proporciona el contexto esencial que permitirá al lector apreciar por qué estos fascinantes e impresionantes destinos eran los rincones favoritos de Bourdain. Sus palabras están acompañadas de testimonios de amigos, colegas y familiares que cuentan historias todavía más profundas y anécdotas sobre cada lugar, así como ilustraciones originales de sitios de interés, personajes locales y platos locales. Para viajeros veteranos, turistas de sillón o exploradores a tiempo parcial, World Travel ofrece la oportunidad de experimentar y conocer el mundo como lo hizo el gran Anthony Bourdain." --Amazon.com.