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)

I miss him so much still.

I loves it
I miss hearing his voice and swing him on TV .
This book is a great listen if you're a fan .

loved it

as allways I love Anthony's writing style and love his narration so good listen to it

Absolutely loved it

Absolute joy to listen to. I honestly think there is no better way to enjoy this book than to hear it in his own words. He is real and doesn't feed you any bull. I will always love the sound of his voice. He is greatly missed by so many.

Loved it.

Great book and awesome emotions. The follow up to another great book. That just brings forward the life of Chefdom.

A Gift

I bought this the morning that Bourdain passed away. I own the book and hard copy, as well as all of his other books. It was strangely therapeutic to listen to him read his own words and think of all the gifts that he gave to all of us.

Of course it was great. It’s Anthony

Finally reading this makes your death sting even more. You meant so much to me and so many others. You are the pinnacle of anything good or knowledge I know towards food or travel. You changed my life for the better, and I wish you would’ve known that.

Vintage Bourdain

Richly descriptive, dramatic, and entertaining, Bourdain is raw and exposed in this book. He also educates the reader about the cooking world and the excesses including the sublime in it.

Always entertaining

The man is a true mess. (RIP) Love listening to him,great story teller. Kitchen Confidential was great and Medium Rare did not disappoint. Anthony ruled. We lost a great, way to soon.

Great narration of ok story

I’d listen to Bourdain read a phone book and find it entertaining I’m sure…but this book seemed a bit random.

Insightful

AB entertainingly gives insight into the restaurant world.. and important knowledge to more fully appreciate where our food comes from. Miss him.