"The work itself is not glamorous. It's repetitive, and it's a lot closer to factory work than art"

Anthony Bourdain: "I was sitting backstage a while back with two chefs whom I really admire—really accomplished chefs who are far more talented than I ever was in the kitchen—and they're talking about how Olive Garden is offering this, and this airline is offering that, and not even blinking. And I asked them 'Come on, wouldn't you feel embarrassed if you woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror and saw the chef who endorses Olive Garden?' They looked at me like I was an idiot. And I'm beginning to think that it's just vanity that's kept me from selling out....Yeah, I've been offered cookware lines....The usual endorsements. I don't know. Maybe it goes back to the heroin thing. I know what it's like to wake up in the morning and feel ashamed of what you did yesterday. I'm just having a hard time crossing that line. I'd like to sell out. I really would!"

I didn't know he knew Tyler Florence. But it's not vanity that keeps Bourdain away from endorsements. Being the guy who hasn't sold out enables Bourdain to successfully sell himself. It's smart self-promotion.

Anyway. The minute Bourdain puts his name on a pot, some smart-ass is bound to drag out a copy of Kitchen Confidential and point to page 79: "Stockpots, saucepans, thick-bottomed saute pans are nice things to have, and there's no reason to buy new and no reason to pay a lot."

[via TVtattle]