Medium Raw
A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People
Who Cook
by Anthony Bourdain
★★★
Anthony Bourdain is unapologetically who he is and people
tend to love him or hate him for that. To be honest, I’ve never watched any of
his TV shows. A few years ago I read and loved Kitchen Confidential and that’s
what made me want to pick this one up. I wasn’t a big fan of the first half of
the book. He seemed to be justifying what he’s done since he became famous and
I didn’t really care. In the second half he finds his balance and sinks into a
bit of reflection and advice. It had a much better flow and tone.
I loved the section where he discusses how the recession
affected restaurants, both in good ways and bad ways. He gives the average
customer a little insight into the behind-the-scenes work that goes into
running successful operations. There are pitfalls or challenges that I never
would have thought about.
Regardless of the BS that inevitably surrounds his
persona, Bourdain wins people over with his honest observations and his
unfettered passion for food. He loves it equally in its most elaborate and
simplistic forms. He conveys that with every word that he writes. He’s not a
fan of the political shuffling that the public eye forces him to navigate, but
his love of great food has never faltered.
His writing style works for me because he is sardonic and
testy. Honestly he’s a cranky asshole and he never tries to deny it. His
observations are steeped in sarcasm or disdain. He’s honest to a fault and that
makes him a lot of enemies, but that doesn’t seem to bother him and I respect
that. He’s just as loyal to his friends and he is vocal against his foes.
BOTTOM LINE: Read it if you loved Kitchen Confidential
and you also like Bourdain’s “in-your-face” cantankerous style.
Side note: I would HIGHLY recommend listening to this one
which is read by the author himself.
“I am not a fan of people who abuse service staff. In
fact, I find it intolerable. It’s an unpardonable sin as far as I’m concerned,
taking out personal business or some other kind of dissatisfaction on a waiter
or busboy.”
“There’s something wonderful about drinking in the afternoon. A not-too-cold pint, absolutely alone at the bar – even in this fake-ass Irish pub.”
“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.”
“There’s something wonderful about drinking in the afternoon. A not-too-cold pint, absolutely alone at the bar – even in this fake-ass Irish pub.”
“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.”
