The former New Yorker fiction editor just wrote the the most amazing book about learning how to make pasta in Mario Batali's Babbo restaurant and apprenticing for Dario Cecchini, a wild, Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany.Heat is wildly entertaining. During Buford's adventures, things often go awry (Batali kicks him off the grill station when he can't keep up; Cecchini gets furious when he refers to the butcher shop as a business; while working morning til night, he gets slapped around, cut, burned and ridiculed), but he still keeps his chin up and maintains his curiosity and is just plain all-around awesome.
This is what he looked like when he was younger. Not bad!
This is what he looks like now. Still pretty cute!
Lina and I saw him speak at the New York Public Library last week with Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. They were sitting on stage drinking beers, and the testosterone was flowing. Buford was endearing with his semi-high-pitched voice and sweet, well-crafted stories. Batali was impressive with his massive girth and unrelenting marketing campaigns. Bourdain was bed-able with his tanned skin, flashing smile and easy demeanor. It was a culinary triumverate.
The panel was rolling along well, until the Q&A session when an audience member asked Batali, "Is gaining weight an occupational hazard, or do people who become chefs just really like food and so would get heavy anyway?" Eeks! Awkward.
Anyway, I've become pretty sell-y on this here blog, but read or listen to Heat. It's really great.
Meanwhile, I will be off sabotaging Buford's happy marriage.
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