4.8from 562 reader reviews

Anthony Bourdain'sAppetitesThe cookbook, with Laurie Woolever

  • Cooked off camera.The meals Bourdain made at home for his family and friends, not restaurant food.
  • Every recipe has a story.From his post-jiu-jitsu açaí bowl to a chorizo-loaded black bean soup, told in his own voice.
  • The gift they'll actually use.Clear, unfussy recipes for any home kitchen, for Bourdain fans and home cooks alike.
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Portrait of Anthony Bourdain in a black t-shirt, arms folded on a table

Before the shows, he was a cook.

Long before the world knew him from TV, Anthony Bourdain spent more than two decades working the line in New York kitchens. He wrote about that life with brutal honesty, then spent years traveling the world, eating with anyone who would share a table.

But when he came home, he cooked. Appetites is that side of him: the food he made for his daughter, his family and his friends. No restaurant tricks, no TV polish.

  1. 1978Graduates from the Culinary Institute of America and starts two decades in professional kitchens.
  2. 2000Kitchen Confidential turns the executive chef of Brasserie Les Halles into a bestselling writer.
  3. 2002–2018A Cook's Tour, No Reservations and Parts Unknown take him to eat his way around the world.
  4. 2016Appetites: the cookbook of what he actually cooked at home.

Here's what you're cooking.

Three pages from Appetites, and three sides of the man who wrote it.

Overhead shot of an açaí bowl with banana and raspberries beside a jiu-jitsu belt and mouthguard
Post-training fuel
The dad

Açaí Bowl

The whole Bourdain household trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with sweaty gis always piling up by the washer. After practice, an icy açaí bowl was the family ritual. This is the version he made at home.

Serves 2Gear: a blender with some muscle

Overhead shot of do chua salad with carrot, daikon, herbs, sprouts and egg in a cut-glass dish on a blue floral tablecloth
Add pork, make it dinner
The traveler

Do Chua Salad

Real Vietnamese flavor from a regular kitchen. A quick carrot and daikon pickle, crunchy sprouts, egg and a heap of fresh herbs, with Bourdain being blunt about buying good ones.

Serves 4 to 6The pickle keeps for 3 weeks

Overhead shot of black bean soup topped with chorizo, egg, chili and cilantro with charred tortillas and lime
Drain the chorizo on newspaper
The chef

Black Bean Soup

Restaurant technique, written for your stove. A sofrito base, smoky chorizo, a hit of vinegar, then a quick blitz that leaves it half chunky. Garnishes go out on the side so everyone builds their own bowl.

Chorizo two waysGear: immersion blender

…and a whole lot more where these came from.

What people cooked.

4.8 out of 5
562 reader reviews
  • Tyler M.July 8, 2026
    4.8 out of 5

    One of my favorites so far

    Made Bourdain's oyster po' boy and it came out incredible. The oysters were crispy, flavorful, and perfect with the bread and toppings.

    Customer photo of a homemade oyster po' boy
  • Lauren K.July 21, 2026
    4.7 out of 5

    Surprisingly easy

    Tried the tempura shrimp and was surprised by how easy it was to follow. They came out light and crispy without feeling overly greasy.

    Customer photo of homemade tempura shrimp
  • Megan R.August 3, 2026
    4.6 out of 5

    Simple but really good

    The deviled eggs were simple but turned out great. I also liked that Bourdain gives you different ways to change them up depending on what you have.

    Customer photo of homemade deviled eggs
  • Daniel P.August 19, 2026
    4.9 out of 5

    Worth buying the book for

    The spaghetti alla bottarga has been my favorite recipe from the book so far. Very simple ingredients but a ton of flavor and something I probably never would have tried otherwise.

    Customer photo of homemade spaghetti alla bottarga
  • Chris A.September 2, 2026
    4.8 out of 5

    Great weeknight dinner

    Followed the cast-iron chicken recipe exactly and it came out really juicy with a great char. The yogurt marinade adds way more flavor than I expected.

    Customer photo of homemade cast-iron grilled chicken
  • Rachel S.September 11, 2026
    4.7 out of 5

    So much flavor

    The black bean soup was hearty, flavorful, and easy to follow. Adding the chorizo and garnishes at the end really makes the whole recipe.

    Customer photo of homemade black bean soup

Got questions? Fair enough.

The straight answers on what's inside, who it's for, and how it gets to your door.

Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever is the chef's home-cooking collection: the food he made for family and friends, not for a restaurant pass. It's a hardcover edition with bold original artwork and straightforward recipes written for an ordinary kitchen.

If you aren't happy with your order, contact our support team within 30 days of delivery and we'll help with an eligible return or refund.

Home cooks who know their way around a stove, fans of Bourdain's writing and shows, and anyone who'd rather cook from a book with a point of view than a pile of interchangeable recipes. No professional training required.

Everyday home cooking, not restaurant plating: breakfasts, soups and stews, roasts, sandwiches, sides and party food, drawn from Bourdain's own kitchen and his travels. Scroll up to see three of them, from a post-training açaí bowl to a chorizo-loaded black bean soup.

The instructions are plain and skip the fussy stuff. Some dishes are weekend projects and others are weeknight-fast, and most ingredients are at a regular grocery store.

It's one of the safest gifts you can give a cook. The hardcover and cover art make it look like a proper present, and it lands for birthdays, housewarmings, holidays and anyone who misses Bourdain's voice.

Free shipping on all U.S. orders, shipped with tracking when available. Delivery times vary by location. Contact our support team if you need help with your order or an eligible return.

Real food, cooked at home, no pretense.