It's been 10 years since the success of the publication of Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" and now I just finished reading his follow-up to that excellent book. Jeff and I both are big fans of Tony's books as well as his hit Travel Channel show, "No Reservations" (as is Greg). "Medium Raw" came out last year & made NY Times bestseller list; it's "a Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People who Cook" in his own words. Don't make the mistake of assuming one has to be a chef or at least like to cook (neither of which applies to me) to appreciate this non-fiction piece of work. Tony simply writes in the most sarcastic, hard-core, humorous, entertaining way. He takes no prisoners and exposes the raw truth of his industry colleagues, fellow celebrity chefs and long-time experts such as the acclaimed Alice Waters.
Each chapter is totally different from the last and each delves into different topics as diverse as Tony becoming a first-time dad, a glowing, sensitive, protective loving father, to a chapter on heroes/villains and how much he hates these villains.
A lot of self-analysis is incorporated into this book and I felt a sense of growth, maturity and a coming to terms with Tony's 1980s drug-fueled insane life and finding acceptance at the stage he finds himself in now. Don't worry, for those of you who've read his prior works, he is still the cynical, mean, cruel, name-calling Tony we all love!
I loved this very entertaining read & recommend it to foodies and non-foodies alike.
