Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

Medium Raw marks the return of the inimitable Anthony Bourdain, author of the blockbuster bestseller Kitchen Confidential and three-time Emmy Award-nominated host of No Reservations on TV’s Travel Channel. Bourdain calls his book, “A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook,” and he is at his entertaining best as he takes aim at some of the biggest names in the foodie world, including David Chang, Alice Waters, the Top Chef winners and losers, and many more. If Hunter S. Thompson had written a book about the restaurant business, it could have been Medium Raw.
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Community Reviews
As an audiobook read by Bourdain, he really puts some feeling into this. Which, makes sense since this book is ALL about naming names of the restaurant industry. While it doesn't seem that he holds back at all, sometimes it felt like he crossed over from edgy and provocative to douchebag (of which he has a chapter on who he considers douchebags).
He redeems himself some by following up on some of the anger and spitefulness from Kitchen Confidential by admitting his anger was misplaced or unexplainable. Although he still doesn't like Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee (no argument from me there).
Some chapters got a little tedious. I'm sure David Chang is awesome but I didn't care to know that much about him. I did really like the chapter on the fish butcher from Eric Ripert's restaurant having just read Ripert's book on his restaurant.
Even though I was making the universal "hurry up" sign through some of the book, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who already likes Bourdain.
He redeems himself some by following up on some of the anger and spitefulness from Kitchen Confidential by admitting his anger was misplaced or unexplainable. Although he still doesn't like Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee (no argument from me there).
Some chapters got a little tedious. I'm sure David Chang is awesome but I didn't care to know that much about him. I did really like the chapter on the fish butcher from Eric Ripert's restaurant having just read Ripert's book on his restaurant.
Even though I was making the universal "hurry up" sign through some of the book, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who already likes Bourdain.
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