Samin Nosrat Discusses Anthony Bourdain’s Complicated Legacy

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat star Samin Nosrat on Anthony Bourdain

Samin Nosrat, the James Beard award-winning author-turned-Netflix star who created Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, recently stopped by Netflix’s in-house podcast to discuss her work. Among the topics of conversation was Anthony Bourdain, the late Parts Unknown host who changed the idea of what food and travel television should be. Nosrat called Bourdain “a mentor to a lot of incredible people,” and acknowledged his complicated legacy. Nosrat remarked:

Anthony Bourdain was so complicated, and what he put into the world was so complicated. On the one hand, I do think that he contributed a lot to the idea of glorifying machismo in kitchens, maybe unintentionally — with Kitchen Confidential that went so big, and how could he have ever anticipated that? So, there’s that, and on the other hand, he grew into being one of the most sensitive, open-minded, and generous storytellers that we have ever had in food media, and I say that as a person who comes from a country where we don’t get a lot of positive representation in the West. And he went to Iran, and he made a beautiful episode about the people and the warmth of the people, and I think he did that for a lot of countries.

So, I’m so grateful to him for the example that he set for future people to come forward, and I think there’s a lot more work we can do to expand upon that.

Nosrat’s episode of You Can’t Make This Up is now available on Stitcher, iTunes, and Spotify.

And in other food news ...

• Speaking of Anthony Bourdain, CNN has no plans to air the Parts Unknown episode that the author/TV star was filming in France when he died. The series finale of Parts Unknown is slated to air Sunday, November 11. [People]
• Brewing giant Molson is getting in on the weed-beverage trend. The company says it is going to make cannabis-infused beer that will be available for retail in Canada next year. [BlogTO]
• Today’s the day, Taco Bell fans. The chain is giving away free Doritos Locos tacos — just one per customer — today from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Everyone can thank Boston Red Sox player Mookie Betts, who activated T-Bell’s “steal a base, steal a taco” promotion when he stole second base in Game 1 of the World Series last week. [SB Nation]
• In other Red Sox news, these guys can really pound the booze. The team spent $300,000 on alcohol in one night while celebrating their Series win. [Page Six]
• Finally, the city of Pittsburgh doesn’t want Atlanta-based chicken-sandwich chain Chick-fil-A sponsoring its marathon. “Chick-Fil-A’s sponsorship of an event designed to encourage healthy living represents a significant setback for Pittsburgh as we continue our work to build a more progressive and welcoming city for all people regardless of whom they are or who they love,” local city council members said in a letter. “Most importantly, its sponsorship sends the wrong message to LGBTQIA+ children and families who face psychological abuse and experience the effects of bullying at disproportionate rates.” [Trib Live]