Medium Raw, Anthony Bourdain
Anyone who read Bourdain's first book, Kitchen Confidential, and is looking for a sequel needs to look elsewhere. Anthony Bourdain has come a long way from the bitter, cynical, darkly humorous, coke-addicted chef in the first book. Now he's a bitter, cynical, darkly humorous food writer/tv star. The main difference between the two books is that Medium Raw, much like The Guinea Pig Diaries, seems to be as much a compilation of separate essays as one coherent book. That said, the essays are still entertaining. The main exception occurs when Bourdain hovers too long on personalities in the food business without sufficiently making the reader care. For the most part, though, he hits his mark. He's witty and often (for me at least) laugh out loud funny. For someone who enjoys Top Chef and felt horrified by Fast Food Nation, this is a great choice. (Note: when tagging this post, I realized I have a LOT of food related tags. I guess I shouldn't be surprised!)
Borrowed from the library
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 In Review
January:
Max watching PSU win the Capital One Bowl
February:
Made the library into a comfortable reading room.
April:
Tried deep fried bacon at the rodeo (it was gross!)...
...and visited Austin with my parents
May:
Camping at Brazos Bend State Park
June:
Welcomed Layla to the family
July:
Brewed our first batch of beer...
...watched The Netherlands in the World Cup...
...and went skydiving!
August:
Went to the Philadelphia Folk Festival
October:
Went to New Orleans to celebrate my first anniversary with The Dude!
November:
Returned to Pennsylvania for the wedding of a great friend (photo below courtesy of the Dude not leaving us alone)
December:
Spent a great Christmas with family and enjoyed real snow! (the handsome fella in this photo is my parents' dog, Duke)
2010 was a fun year for me. I have so much to look forward to in 2011!
Max watching PSU win the Capital One Bowl
February:
Made the library into a comfortable reading room.
April:
Tried deep fried bacon at the rodeo (it was gross!)...
...and visited Austin with my parents
May:
Camping at Brazos Bend State Park
June:
Welcomed Layla to the family
July:
Brewed our first batch of beer...
...watched The Netherlands in the World Cup...
...and went skydiving!
August:
Went to the Philadelphia Folk Festival
October:
Went to New Orleans to celebrate my first anniversary with The Dude!
November:
Returned to Pennsylvania for the wedding of a great friend (photo below courtesy of the Dude not leaving us alone)
December:
Spent a great Christmas with family and enjoyed real snow! (the handsome fella in this photo is my parents' dog, Duke)
2010 was a fun year for me. I have so much to look forward to in 2011!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Earning My Stripes
...racing stripes that is!
This weekend was Cory's birthday and his sports-themed party had a costume contest. Thanks to suggestions from a number of people I decided to be a NASCAR driver. The Dude and I set to work on Friday night and $19.06 later ($17 of which was for a Dale Earnhardt shirt), we were done!
Now, I know what you're thinking: that is without a doubt the best costume I have ever seen! But you would be wrong. Tragically, I came in second in the costume contest to a late entrant. However, this turned out to be a plus since the prize for second place was infinitely better than that for first place. Check me out...I call this picture "bedroom eyes."
The best part is, these wind up and the mustache and eyebrows wiggle! Awesome!
What are some of your favorite costumes? Pictures are encouraged!
This weekend was Cory's birthday and his sports-themed party had a costume contest. Thanks to suggestions from a number of people I decided to be a NASCAR driver. The Dude and I set to work on Friday night and $19.06 later ($17 of which was for a Dale Earnhardt shirt), we were done!
Now, I know what you're thinking: that is without a doubt the best costume I have ever seen! But you would be wrong. Tragically, I came in second in the costume contest to a late entrant. However, this turned out to be a plus since the prize for second place was infinitely better than that for first place. Check me out...I call this picture "bedroom eyes."
The best part is, these wind up and the mustache and eyebrows wiggle! Awesome!What are some of your favorite costumes? Pictures are encouraged!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
1 Part Truth, 2 Parts Mystery
A History of the World in Six Glasses, Tom Standage
This book traces the history of civilization through six broadly defined eras in which the primary drink was beer, wine, liquor, coffee, tea, and finally cola. I most enjoyed the first three sections (beer, wine and liquor) because they dealt with civilizations from thousands of years ago. Once the book got to more modern times the premise sometimes felt stretched. For example, the author cited first taxes on whiskey and later those on tea as inciting the American revolution. While they certainly both contributed, the author tried to make the same point twice and didn't really acknowledge the inconsistency. Even so, it was an interesting book and made me think a lot more about what I drink!
The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters
After World War II, England was at a crossroads in that many parts of it were modern, but in the countryside buildings and social mores had not changed for centuries. This novel follows a family of country gentry as they deal with these changes. However, it's a bit of a mystery and a ghost story. I'm not usually a big fan of these types of things, but The Little Stranger was well written; it remained creepy without slipping over into ridiculousness. The narrator, a doctor, acted as a device to win over the skeptical reader (such as myself). The writing is good and I'm interested in seeing what else Sarah Waters has written.
The Lace Reader, Brunonia Barry
This one came recommended from Erin and I'm so glad she lent it to me. The novel follows the homecoming of Towner Whitney, a self-proclaimed "unreliable narrator" who returns to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts for the first time in fifteen years. In this book nothing is as it seems; the witches are on the good side and a popular preacher is abusive. As the story progresses, the reader learns more about why Towner left Salem so long ago and how it impacted the entire community. The title comes from a special talent of the Whitney women; they can "read" lace and see the future. The book is mystical without being unrealistic and draws you completely into Towner's life. Quick everyone, ask Erin if you can borrow it next!
This book traces the history of civilization through six broadly defined eras in which the primary drink was beer, wine, liquor, coffee, tea, and finally cola. I most enjoyed the first three sections (beer, wine and liquor) because they dealt with civilizations from thousands of years ago. Once the book got to more modern times the premise sometimes felt stretched. For example, the author cited first taxes on whiskey and later those on tea as inciting the American revolution. While they certainly both contributed, the author tried to make the same point twice and didn't really acknowledge the inconsistency. Even so, it was an interesting book and made me think a lot more about what I drink!
The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters
After World War II, England was at a crossroads in that many parts of it were modern, but in the countryside buildings and social mores had not changed for centuries. This novel follows a family of country gentry as they deal with these changes. However, it's a bit of a mystery and a ghost story. I'm not usually a big fan of these types of things, but The Little Stranger was well written; it remained creepy without slipping over into ridiculousness. The narrator, a doctor, acted as a device to win over the skeptical reader (such as myself). The writing is good and I'm interested in seeing what else Sarah Waters has written.
The Lace Reader, Brunonia Barry
This one came recommended from Erin and I'm so glad she lent it to me. The novel follows the homecoming of Towner Whitney, a self-proclaimed "unreliable narrator" who returns to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts for the first time in fifteen years. In this book nothing is as it seems; the witches are on the good side and a popular preacher is abusive. As the story progresses, the reader learns more about why Towner left Salem so long ago and how it impacted the entire community. The title comes from a special talent of the Whitney women; they can "read" lace and see the future. The book is mystical without being unrealistic and draws you completely into Towner's life. Quick everyone, ask Erin if you can borrow it next!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Beware of the White Out!
Fall is approaching fast (not that you can tell based on the weather here in Texas) and that means it's time to get excited about football! In particular for me that means Penn State football. While I definitely consider myself a big fan I admit I am no expert on the game itself so here are my top 10 "Things you need to know about Penn State football even if you don't know much about football."* Catchy right? Letterman's going to hire me any day now. Without further ado here they are!
10. Beaver stadium rocks. Just look at this video...
...and read these quotes from other Big Ten players. Every time the boys in blue walk onto that field they have a huge advantage, which is awesome since we have eight home games this year. Despite that I still think that...
9. Our schedule sucks. Not because it's difficult but because it's too easy. When it comes time to rank teams and we have the same record as someone else do you really think voters will look at wins against Akron and Eastern Illinois and rank us ahead? No they will not. Even if we are lucky enough to go undefeated (which I am in no way expecting...remember Iowa last year?) I can totally see a one loss team being ahead of us. It sucks but that's just one more reason we need a playoff.
8. Our most valuable commodity is quarterback Darryl Clark's head. He's already had three concussions. Last year we had an awesome backup, Pat Devlin, but he wanted to be a starter so he left. That means this year if Clark takes a hit our QB will be true freshman Kevin Newsome. This kid is supposed to be really talented and I'm looking forward to seeing him play but not this year unless we are up by 12 touchdowns against the Little Sisters of the Nearsighted (see item 9).
7. If Clark can stay healthy our offense can rock. Check this lineup (ok it's from last year's team but most of them are still here and I wanted to post this picture).
Royster is already on the watch list for lots of awards. I could look up which ones but a) I am lazy and b) this list is supposed to be for people who don't know what all those awards are anyway so stop complaining. Yeah I'm talking to you in the cheap seats.
6. We are Linebacker U. This year we return senior Sean Lee after he was out with an injury last season. He's on track to break some records and if that means breaking the hopes, dreams and possibly a few small bones of opposing QBs on the way I'm fine with that. We also have Navarro Bowman who changed his number to 11 after PSU linebacking great Lavar Arrington. Reportedly (according to my mom who watches the Big Ten Network) his teammates are calling him "Lavarro." I LOVE IT!
5. Weak schedule = too many early games. Noon games were bad enough on the east coast but they're worse here in the Central Time Zone. I like beer for breakfast as much as the next person but it's a lot harder to get pumped when the game is over in time for the early bird special at Luby's. Plus the new neighbors will probably look at us sideways if we start tailgating at 6am in the driveway.
4. Joepa still rocks. I know this is probably the most controversial thing I will write here but he is the man. Look, Penn State is an amazing program with a long history of success and an incredible fan base. But if you don't think that we are getting at least some of our recruits because they have been dreaming of playing for the guy in the coke bottle glasses since they were just a twinkle in their parents' eyes, you're kidding yourself. Last year we had an incredible senior class that had entered the program during one of our worst losing stretches in recent history and they frequently mentioned Joepa. The man is a legend.
Let's go Joe!
10. Beaver stadium rocks. Just look at this video...
...and read these quotes from other Big Ten players. Every time the boys in blue walk onto that field they have a huge advantage, which is awesome since we have eight home games this year. Despite that I still think that...
9. Our schedule sucks. Not because it's difficult but because it's too easy. When it comes time to rank teams and we have the same record as someone else do you really think voters will look at wins against Akron and Eastern Illinois and rank us ahead? No they will not. Even if we are lucky enough to go undefeated (which I am in no way expecting...remember Iowa last year?) I can totally see a one loss team being ahead of us. It sucks but that's just one more reason we need a playoff.
8. Our most valuable commodity is quarterback Darryl Clark's head. He's already had three concussions. Last year we had an awesome backup, Pat Devlin, but he wanted to be a starter so he left. That means this year if Clark takes a hit our QB will be true freshman Kevin Newsome. This kid is supposed to be really talented and I'm looking forward to seeing him play but not this year unless we are up by 12 touchdowns against the Little Sisters of the Nearsighted (see item 9).
7. If Clark can stay healthy our offense can rock. Check this lineup (ok it's from last year's team but most of them are still here and I wanted to post this picture).
Left to right: Quarterback Darryl Clark, Tailback Evan Royster, Wide Receiver Deon Butler, Wide Receiver Jordan Norwood, Tailback Stephfon Green
Royster is already on the watch list for lots of awards. I could look up which ones but a) I am lazy and b) this list is supposed to be for people who don't know what all those awards are anyway so stop complaining. Yeah I'm talking to you in the cheap seats.
6. We are Linebacker U. This year we return senior Sean Lee after he was out with an injury last season. He's on track to break some records and if that means breaking the hopes, dreams and possibly a few small bones of opposing QBs on the way I'm fine with that. We also have Navarro Bowman who changed his number to 11 after PSU linebacking great Lavar Arrington. Reportedly (according to my mom who watches the Big Ten Network) his teammates are calling him "Lavarro." I LOVE IT!
5. Weak schedule = too many early games. Noon games were bad enough on the east coast but they're worse here in the Central Time Zone. I like beer for breakfast as much as the next person but it's a lot harder to get pumped when the game is over in time for the early bird special at Luby's. Plus the new neighbors will probably look at us sideways if we start tailgating at 6am in the driveway.
4. Joepa still rocks. I know this is probably the most controversial thing I will write here but he is the man. Look, Penn State is an amazing program with a long history of success and an incredible fan base. But if you don't think that we are getting at least some of our recruits because they have been dreaming of playing for the guy in the coke bottle glasses since they were just a twinkle in their parents' eyes, you're kidding yourself. Last year we had an incredible senior class that had entered the program during one of our worst losing stretches in recent history and they frequently mentioned Joepa. The man is a legend.
Let's go Joe!3. Win or lose, you can be proud of this team. They're not all perfect but in general acting stupid and getting poor grades gets you off the field and even off the team. Every summer they put together a fundraiser for kidney cancer. They've raised over $400,000 in seven years since they began. Especially right now when so many athletes are poor role models I think this is amazing. If you want to learn more, go here.
2. We have this guy.
I admit that I don't necessarily believe we will win the game if the drum major lands his flip. But he goes out there every game and tries. That's why I love college football and PSU football in particular: every team has their own traditions that get the fans and players excited.
1. This could be our year! Ok, so maybe it doesn't look that way on paper. But that's the beauty of college football. You never know when your team is going to surprise you so you wake up early on Saturday, paint your face, scream yourself hoarse and support your team for every game. So get out there and enjoy it! Let's go State!
2. We have this guy.
I admit that I don't necessarily believe we will win the game if the drum major lands his flip. But he goes out there every game and tries. That's why I love college football and PSU football in particular: every team has their own traditions that get the fans and players excited.1. This could be our year! Ok, so maybe it doesn't look that way on paper. But that's the beauty of college football. You never know when your team is going to surprise you so you wake up early on Saturday, paint your face, scream yourself hoarse and support your team for every game. So get out there and enjoy it! Let's go State!
*Much of what little I do know comes from http://www.blackshoediaries.com/, http://thenittanyline.blogspot.com/, http://gloryofoldstate.blogspot.com/, and http://www.zombienationpsu.com/. Check them out!
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