TOP TEN THINGS TO DO Before YOU DIE

Yea, so a lot of people make lists and they seem unachievable.  But the difference with this is...  I plan on doing these friggin things.  Oh, and they're not in any particular order of importance. After throwing some ideas around - I figured I should group them in their respective temperate zones.

Cold Climates - 

1.  Climb Mt. Everest.

2.  See the Aurora Borealis

3.  Howl at the moon in Antarctica (can I even see it there?)

4.  Drink Yak's milk from the pail of an indigenous tribe.

Tropical Climates - 

1. Make love while SCUBA diving with stingrays

2. Dive the Cenotes in the Yucatan (cave diving and making love would be too dangerous)

3. Learn to skipper my own vessel and sail her around the Caribbean. 

Ummm... "other" climates

1. Drink good scotch in Scotland

2. Have a baby or three. 

3. Eat sushi in Japan and then protest their whaling efforts

more to come

Lessons about cookware

There is only one knife you need - A large chef's knife that fits your hand. it will cut everything and there is little need for much else.

Brands for knives? Germans are out, Japanese are in. Anthony suggests Global brand.

Pans - Look out for restaurant auctions for good deals. You don't need new pans, just ones that have thick, heavy bottoms. A thin bottomed pan, or woman, is useless.

A non-stick saute pan is essential as well. Don't scratch it with metal tools.

Use wooden spatulas and spoons, they have more soul.

THings I have learned from ANthony Bourdain

In NYC, don't eat fish on sunday or monday - the best days are Tuesday through Saturday (note the appropriate capitalization). Anthony claims Tuesday and Thursday the best days to order fish. The weekends have fresh food too, but are busier and hence the preparers will not be as attentive to the meal that you are about to digest.

NEVER eat something with hollandaise sauce, this stuff is filled with emulsified egg and has a higher chance of getting you sick than other things.

The same goes for mussels. These usually sit in their own urine for an elongated period of time. Don't eat unless you're at a very good restaurant.

Rarely eat Sunday brunch - chefs hate brunch for some reason, not the least of which is the fact they got wasted the night before.

"Discounted" sushi means that the sushi is old and bad.

A restaurant's bathroom is a reflection of the cleanliness of its' kitchen.

Most chef's save their toughest meats (i.e. the worst cuts) for those that take the meat well done.

Chef's despise vegans and vegetarians.

Pigs might be filthy animals, but do you really think chickens are raised in better conditions? Chicken has the highest risk of contamination - but I think this statistic is skewed because it is probably the most popular meat of all time. Coincidentally, chicken is also boring and will make the chef think of you as a simpleton.

If a restaurant is very busy then the chances of the food's freshness are practically guaranteed. This is due to the high turnover rate. Don't eat at half-empty restaurants with a varied menu.

more to come