Those of you old enough to remember Kay Newman could not possibly imagine how glamour and celebrity have replaced rolled oats in meat loaf as the secret to cooking success on TV.

The proof was in the pudding Anthony Bourdain stirred up last night at a sold-out performance for the Drue Heinz Lectures at Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland.

His popularity as host of a show featuring off-the-beaten path international cuisine on the Travel channel is due largely to his charm, wit and rebellious style rather than his talent for creating magic in the kitchen, a talent probably no greater than the stout host of local television recipe programs of the 1950s possessed.

Bourdain is also unapologetically crude, an appealing trait these days, and he made no effort to tone down his comments for the traditionally staid Heinz Lectures crowd.

In cowboy boots and tight pegged pants, the graying TV star opened the evening in stand-up comedy mode, ragging on the Food Channel's personalities, including Rachael Ray who, in his opinion, have created more couch potatoes than lyonnaise potatoes.

Emerging as a food rebel with his 2000 New Yorker article and subsequent book, "Kitchen Confidential," which indicted restaurants for their unsavory ways, Bourdain is now a supporter of today's restaurant business.

"Today, it's now treason for the cooks to spit in the food," he assured us. He even believes that seafood on Monday is perfectly safe in some better establishments.

Bourdain wrapped up his off-the-cuff show by praising the local diners and cooks in such countries as Thailand and China, encouraging Americans to avoid places where other Americans congregate.

He was as adept as a short-order cook in a busy diner during the question period, answering the queries with respect and humor despite a growing rowdy attitude from the upper balcony.

The Heinz Lectures season is over. The new one starts Sept. 22 with Tina Brown, onetime New Yorker editor, and includes Edwidge Danticat, Richard Russo, David Macaulay and Will Shortz.

The winter lineup opens Jan. 22 with Devra Davis, University of Pittsburgh environmental research, and author of the book, "The Secret History of the War On Cancer."

Following her will be Janet Browne, Billy Collins, Marjane Satrapi and Judith Jones.

It will be a busy night in Oakland tomorrow for poetry lovers. It's a way of kicking off National Poetry Month as well.

• Iraqi War Army veteran Brian Turner, author of the collection of war poems, "Here, Bullet," closes the season of the International Poetry Forum at 8 p.m. in the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall. Tickets, $12, $8 for students and seniors; 412-621-9893.

• Andrew Zawacki, author of the collections "By Reasons of Breakings" and "Anabranch," concludes the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series at 8:30 p.m. in Room 501, Cathedral of Learning. It's free.

• Jan Beatty introduces her new poetry collection, "Red Sugar" (University of Pittsburgh Press, $14), with a reading and signing Thursday at noon at the Pitt Book Center, 4000 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

It's the third collection from Pitt Press for Beatty, director of the Creative Writing Program at Carlow University.

• Poetry Without Walls, an open-mic free-for-all, starts Saturday at 8 p.m. in Garfield ArtWorks, 4931 Penn Ave., Garfield.

No sign-ups, just show up, says organizer Ed Bortz. Information: 412-231-1581.