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“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”
― Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
― Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
“your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”
― Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
― Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
“I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain. One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself, forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
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“Maybe that’s enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom...is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”
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“The journey is part of the experience - an expression of the seriousness of one's intent. One doesn't take the A train to Mecca.”
― A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines
― A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines
Allison’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Allison’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Art, Children's, Classics, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Science, Science fiction, Travel, and Young-adult
Polls voted on by Allison
Lists liked by Allison




































