Medium Raw

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

By: Anthony Bourdain

Narrated by: Anthony Bourdain

Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The long-awaited follow-up to the mega-best-seller Kitchen Confidential

In the 10 years since his classic Kitchen Confidential first alerted us to the idiosyncrasies and lurking perils of eating out - from Monday fish to the breadbasket conspiracy - much has changed for the subculture of chefs and cooks, for the restaurant business and for Anthony Bourdain. Medium Raw explores those changes, moving back and forth from the author's bad old days to the present. Tracking his own strange and unexpected voyage from journeyman cook to globe-traveling professional eater and drinker, and even to fatherhood, Bourdain takes no prisoners as he dissects what he's seen, pausing along the way for a series of confessions, rants, investigations, and interrogations of some of the most controversial figures in food.

Beginning with a secret and highly illegal after-hours gathering of powerful chefs that he compares to a mafia summit, Bourdain pulls back the curtain, but never pulls his punches, on the modern gastronomical revolution, as only he can. Cutting right to the bone, Bourdain sets his sights on some of the biggest names in the foodie world, including David Chang, the young superstar chef who has radicalized the fine-dining landscape; the revered Alice Waters, whom he treats with unapologetic frankness; the Top Chef winners and losers; and many more.

Always he returns to the question "Why cook?" Or the more difficult "Why cook well?" Medium Raw is the deliciously funny and shockingly delectable journey to those answers, sure to delight philistines and gourmands alike.

©2010 Anthony Bourdain (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The food orbit is [Bourdain’s] element, and chapters on today’s leading figures—from chef David Chang to critic Alan Richman—display his access, outspokenness and comedic gifts....Mr. Bourdain is a vivid, bawdy and often foul-mouthed writer. He thrills in the attack, but he is also an enthusiast who writes well about things he holds dear." ( Wall Street Journal)

“Full of things everybody in the food world thinks but nobody will say...If [Bourdain’s] sharp eye and his wicked tongue have brought him acclaim, what’s kept him in the spotlight is his heart. Like Oscar Wilde, he’s a moralist in the guise of a libertine. Long may he prosper.” ( Denver Post)

“Bourdain has insight, access and good taste, and he’s a naturally engaging writer...Bourdain is a hopeless romantic when it comes to food and the people who cook. The subtitle’s real valentines are two elegantly written profiles.” ( New York Times Book Review)

Classic Anthony Bourdain

As a FOH person changed by Kitchen Confidential and now a Chef myself I am so appreciative of this book. It’s a glance back, a look at today and a possible vision for the future of restaurants. Full of plenty of sh*t talking and self examination. -Cheers

I miss this guy

another great book by a great dude. nobody's going to read this review I'm just putting it here to help his metrics even though he's not around anymore. I'm sure it's helping somebody connected to him

Just what I expected

I saddens me to listen to him just knowing he was so messed up that he couldn’t go on. I love his story telling. He has educated and amused me.
Tragic.

Love it!

As a lifelong service industry worker, I completely identified with everything. I’ve listened to it several times now, and enjoy it each time as much as the first. For the people who didn’t enjoy it, or were offended by the cussing… Well, this book obviously isn’t for you. If you have a sense of humor and enjoy hearing the dirt on the service industry, you will enjoy this book.

Medium raw was well done!

Very entertaining, amusing uplifting & depressing all in one. Always enjoy hearing his voice, the stories , the descriptions of food. Sorry he is gone.

Great memories

Sad to have struggled with depression unfortunately he passed away in a tragic manner this book like the other brings me so many memories as chef’s assistant hard under pay jobs with the only satisfaction of being able to do that meal with my own hands like nobody else’s with pride and respect will miss you Anthony . Thank you again

The over-thinker at his finest

I just love Anthony Bourdain. He’s a classic Overthinker, and all of the best ways his opinion may not be agreeable, but he is someone worth listening to.

The Snarky Chef returneth

My patience for Anthony Bourdain and his nose-in-the-air attitude about all things food has limits...and this book ended EXACTLY when they were reached. I don't think openly admitting you're a jerk and then acting like a jerk exempts you, but it does make listening to the wonderful writing much easier for people like me who like the behind the scenes stories of restaurants that I'll never eat in.

The man is funny, erudite, and so ridiculously opinionated you can almost forgive him anything. Almost. But this book is really for people with a high tolerance for all things food who aren't afraid of a lot of bad language and brutal attacks on perfectly fine people that Tony has decided are beneath him. This book goes well with a spoonful of sugar.

Im just a big tony fan

He can do no wrong. If they were to make me wear a tie for the book cover i would have had a cig in my hand or some subliminal item hidden.

Enlightening

Any additional comments?

This book is like a post script to Kitchen Confidential. I loved it. I love his voice and reading of it. I cannot possible add to the major critical reviews (the positive ones). WARNING: not for the faint of heart ! Anthony does not bother with word filters...and does not need to in my opinion. It is part of who he is.