MEDIUM RAW

Television ‘Food Celebrities’ have been around since the sixties. As a teenager I looked forward to watching Graham Kerr,‘The Galloping Gourmet’, after Captain Kangaroo was over. The whole family would sit around the television and watch Julia. The public broadcasting station would have cooking shows of Jacque, Jeff Smith, Justin Wilson, and of course, Yan. These Chefs became popular and a whole new wave of chefs emerged. Lydia, Ming, Wolfgang, Rick Bayless, and a whole lot more took to the air, to chop and instruct us on preparing delicious meals..The Food Network gave birth to the mega-celebrity chef. Emeril was king! He still is in my book. This man could get you excited just saying,”Garlic”. This was also the beginning of the decline of quality cooking shows. In steps Anthony Bourdain, the ‘Bad Boy’ of the cooking networks. Here is an ex-chef slash author who travels the world and reports on his food experiences. He is a new kind of Celebrity. Ten years ago he wrote a book, Kitchen Confidential. It was a big hit and propelled him into the limelight. He has written a new book “Medium Raw’.

Anthony Bourdain has a no-holds barred, gritty, brutally honest way of writing. His descriptions and verse about particular meals are colorful and entertaining. He can give you a backstage glimpse of the food world. His stories of what actually happens in the kitchen are revealing and sometimes shocking. This book is a collection of stories about memorable meals and the people that cook them. This book is also about the movers and shakers of the food world. He has some pretty unique and wild opinions about some of the icons of the food industry. He rifts and rants about food critics, food network stars and chefs. One chapter gave me a whole new outlook on Alice Waters. Bourdain can be sarcastic, funny and insightful with his takes on different food celebrities. He also has given us a glimpse of his personal life. He has had his share of demons and addictions.

I picked up this book and could not put it down. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Anybody that watches or reads about food will know the cast of characters that Anthony Bourdain has included in his book. This is a must read for the ‘Foodies’. I caught myself laughing out loud on some of Bourdains takes on ‘Food Celebrities. I recommend this book.