By James Oliver Cury

Yes, Anthony Bourdain is a celebrity chef, but no one -- not even he -- cares much about his food. "I was never an innovator or a three-star chef at any point in my career," he admits. What people care about are Bourdain's shocking insights into the kitchen, his devil-may-care attitude and his supremely entertaining voice. He is the man who, with the publication of the Kitchen Confidential memoir in 2000, revealed that chefs do indeed have sex where they cook, that they shamelessly recycle ingredients past their prime (which is why you may not want to have seafood specials on Mondays) and, perhaps most important, that cooking for others can be heaven and hell.

Kitchen Confidential jump-started what would become a very serious literary career. Bourdain has written seven books since 2000 -- including three works of fiction, one cookbook, one foodie travelogue and a history of Typhoid Mary. His latest work, The Nasty Bits (Bloomsbury, May 2006), borrows from all of these genres: There are 36 separate entries -- exposés, rants, historical analyses, even a short story -- many of which first appeared in Esquire, Town & Country, Gourmet and the L.A. Times. Some of the writing dates back to his days as a chef at Les Halles in Manhattan, but much of it comes from his experiences touring the world as host of the Travel Network's No Reservations television show -- a gig that allows Bourdain to visit exotic countries and sample unusual foods, most notably a beating cobra heart in Vietnam (though raw seal eyeball takes a close second).

While the recent Fox Network adaptation of Kitchen Confidential didn't make it past season one, Bourdain, now 50, is unfazed. As he explained during a recent sit-down lunch at Brasserie Les Halles (where he still keeps the title executive chef), his life is a nonstop plane ride around the world punctuated by book tours, interviews and the occasional flight back to New York -- where he keeps a bachelor pad in Hell's Kitchen. Not surprisingly, Bourdain's field of expertise has expanded: In addition to being an authority on kitchen scandals, he is now an expert eater, top-notch journalist, storied cultural ambassador and professional airline passenger. He's the rebel outsider with insider access and someone who is equally at ease doling out travel tips as he is ripping apart James Frey's controversial quasi-memoir A Million Little Pieces. We got him to sit down for an hour and discuss food, flying and fame.