Where in the world is Anthony Bourdain? Not in Osaka eating octopus balls, not in Shanghai devouring xiao long bao, not in Argentina feasting on blood sausage sandwiches. This weekend the host of Travel Channel's popular culinary travelogue No Reservations is right here in the Southland, preaching the good news about food. Inspired by his latest book Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, Bourdain expounds on the culture of cooking, from the globalization of ethnic cuisines to the phenomenon of the celebrity chef. Expect bluntness: This is a guy who once called Prague “The Land That Vegetables Forgot.” Q&A follows the talk.

Fri., Feb. 18, 8 p.m., 2011

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