Book Log 2010 #65: Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain

I've read a couple of reviews of this book calling it a follow-up to Kitchen Confidential, but I don't buy that. Unlike that book, which was a straight-up tell all about restaurant work and Bourdain's fairly tortured life as a chef, this book is more a reflection on the world of food from a many who, by his own admission, is no longer a chef (though he loves it when people call him one).

The book is also more conflicted, as Bourdain has to reconcile being part of the food entertainment complex that he spends a fair amount of time lambasting. Having now seen the other side of the coin, he is now more understanding (and even apologetic) towards some of his previous targets, while remaining quite able to write scathingly about those who he believes deserve it (his chapter on food critic Alan Richman is a classic example of this).

So I think of this book as less of a follow-up and more of a checking-in, allowing Bordain to address some topics from the first book while making new observations based on things he's seen and thought since the first book came out. It's also an interesting example of how someone can sand down their rougher edges without damaging their core. Bourdain may be nicer, more understanding, and perhaps even somewhat humble, but he's still able to call things as he sees them and write about them powerfully.