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 travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Happy Campers
The Dude, Max and I all enjoy camping, but Layla hasn't had a chance to try yet because my Civic couldn't fit all four of us and the necessary gear. Luckily for her we recently got a new and bigger car so we didn't waste any time before hitting the road!
Because it's a new car, we got a fancy new cover for the backseat so that Max and Layla wouldn't mess it up. It acts kind of like a hammock so you end up with a flap between the two front seats. The dogs immediately realized this was prime chin rest territory and spent the whole ride angling for the best space. They seemed to like the sun roof as well.
I got a lot of reading done and tested out some of the new gear I got for a trip to the Grand Canyon later this year. Unfortunately the area we were in has been very dry so there was a burn ban, which meant no campfires. This was a crushing blow for the Dude. Luckily for him the so-called "Supermoon" was out this weekend so he could spend his evenings watching Layla try to protect us from everything that moved even as she fell asleep. All in all, it was a great weekend!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What I read during last week's work trip
Superfreakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
I read Freakonomics a few years ago and still follow the New York Times' Freakonomics blog daily, so I was thrilled to see that another book was out. Like its predecessor, Superfreakonomics looks at every day situations and breaks them down logically to see what really makes us tick. The unintended effects of our decisions (and legislation) can be both tragic and comical. After you read this you will never look at the world the same way again.
The Weight of Silence, Heather Gudenkauf
This novel tells the story of two young girls who go missing one morning and follows the fallout as people question each other while trying to find them. The two seven year olds are best friends even though one of them, Calli, has been mute for the past three years. The story alternates between the search and exposition of the stories of their families. Although I enjoyed the book very much, I would have liked it more if the author delved into the characters and relationships. I wonder why Calli's mother would marry her father, an abusive drunk, instead of her high school sweetheart who clearly still cares for her. The novel does explore why Calli became mute, and more important, what will make her talk again. I read this in the airport and on the plane and it held me rapt; hopefully it will do the same for you.
I read Freakonomics a few years ago and still follow the New York Times' Freakonomics blog daily, so I was thrilled to see that another book was out. Like its predecessor, Superfreakonomics looks at every day situations and breaks them down logically to see what really makes us tick. The unintended effects of our decisions (and legislation) can be both tragic and comical. After you read this you will never look at the world the same way again.
The Weight of Silence, Heather Gudenkauf
This novel tells the story of two young girls who go missing one morning and follows the fallout as people question each other while trying to find them. The two seven year olds are best friends even though one of them, Calli, has been mute for the past three years. The story alternates between the search and exposition of the stories of their families. Although I enjoyed the book very much, I would have liked it more if the author delved into the characters and relationships. I wonder why Calli's mother would marry her father, an abusive drunk, instead of her high school sweetheart who clearly still cares for her. The novel does explore why Calli became mute, and more important, what will make her talk again. I read this in the airport and on the plane and it held me rapt; hopefully it will do the same for you.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Honeymoon in Paradise
After the wedding, the Dude and I headed to El Dorado Maroma for a week to relax and enjoy being married. We loved this resort because it was all-inclusive but still small. The food was truly gourmet, the service was outstanding, and the beach was beautiful. We hope to go back soon!
Since the Dude likes his privacy, Sid the sloth offered to be a stand in for picture purposes. Enjoy the slideshow below (with captions) to see what a great time we had!
Since the Dude likes his privacy, Sid the sloth offered to be a stand in for picture purposes. Enjoy the slideshow below (with captions) to see what a great time we had!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
8 days to go!
From Jen's blog.
watching...Flash Forward
smelling...the reed diffuser sitting on the console table
reading...the blurbs about the 13 books (10 library, 3 purchased) that I got for the wedding/honeymoon so that I can decide which ones to read when.
enjoying...the knowledge that after 1 more day of work, I have more than 2 weeks off!
listening...to the laundry machine cleaning the clothes for my trip!
knowing...that in 8 days I am going to have a fabulous day with the ones I love
drinking...Diet Pepsi so I can stay awake
embracing...the excitement in my life! (and Max, naturally)
watching...Flash Forward
smelling...the reed diffuser sitting on the console table
reading...the blurbs about the 13 books (10 library, 3 purchased) that I got for the wedding/honeymoon so that I can decide which ones to read when.
enjoying...the knowledge that after 1 more day of work, I have more than 2 weeks off!
listening...to the laundry machine cleaning the clothes for my trip!
knowing...that in 8 days I am going to have a fabulous day with the ones I love
drinking...Diet Pepsi so I can stay awake
embracing...the excitement in my life! (and Max, naturally)
Monday, June 1, 2009
Book Reviews
I haven't done a book review in a while but after Memorial Day weekend and some plane travel I finally have enough books to be worthwhile!
The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Melissa Bank
I got this one in the book swap Nujoud organized. We definitely need to do that again! This is a novel written almost as a series of short stories. Normally I'm not a fan of that style because it can lead to a disjointed story, but in this case the collection flowed together beautifully. It was a quick and light read yet still had depth. I definitely recommend it!
Opening Skinner's Box, Lauren Slater
This book is about ten controversial and revolutionary psychological experiments of the twentieth century. You'll probably recognize some of them, such as Stanley Milgram's obedience research, but others will be brand new. In fact, it was fascinating to see how two experiments could appear to completely contradict each other yet still be valid. My only criticism of the book was that sometimes the author got too wrapped up in her own experience with the experiments and didn't elaborate on them as much as she could, but overall it's a fun way to learn about some really interesting experiments without getting bogged down in the technical side of things.
Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel
I picked this book up at a used book store over a year ago and had been wanting to read it for even longer than that. It's non-fiction and tells Galileo's story interspersed with letters from his daughter, who entered a nunnery in her teens and spent her life there. While I definitely enjoyed the glimpse into a different side of Galileo's life, it got bogged down in his battles with the church at times. That said, it's still a worthwhile read, especially if you are interested in a different perspective on the great mathematician.
The Bookseller of Kabul, Asne Seierstad
I'll keep it simple: everyone needs to go read this now. I thought this was a novel but it turns out to be true. The author spent three months living with an Afghani family. The patriarch is a bookseller in Kabul (I'm sure you wouldn't have guessed that) and is in some ways very modern and liberal. However, in his home life he is very traditional. It was fascinating to learn more about the culture but I also became completely swept up in the lives of these real people. I had about 10 pages left when we got off the plane and I hurried to the baggage claim so I could sit down and finish it!
Next up (I'm currently about halfway through) is Testimony, by Anita Shreve.
The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Melissa Bank
I got this one in the book swap Nujoud organized. We definitely need to do that again! This is a novel written almost as a series of short stories. Normally I'm not a fan of that style because it can lead to a disjointed story, but in this case the collection flowed together beautifully. It was a quick and light read yet still had depth. I definitely recommend it!
Opening Skinner's Box, Lauren Slater
This book is about ten controversial and revolutionary psychological experiments of the twentieth century. You'll probably recognize some of them, such as Stanley Milgram's obedience research, but others will be brand new. In fact, it was fascinating to see how two experiments could appear to completely contradict each other yet still be valid. My only criticism of the book was that sometimes the author got too wrapped up in her own experience with the experiments and didn't elaborate on them as much as she could, but overall it's a fun way to learn about some really interesting experiments without getting bogged down in the technical side of things.
Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel
I picked this book up at a used book store over a year ago and had been wanting to read it for even longer than that. It's non-fiction and tells Galileo's story interspersed with letters from his daughter, who entered a nunnery in her teens and spent her life there. While I definitely enjoyed the glimpse into a different side of Galileo's life, it got bogged down in his battles with the church at times. That said, it's still a worthwhile read, especially if you are interested in a different perspective on the great mathematician.
The Bookseller of Kabul, Asne Seierstad
I'll keep it simple: everyone needs to go read this now. I thought this was a novel but it turns out to be true. The author spent three months living with an Afghani family. The patriarch is a bookseller in Kabul (I'm sure you wouldn't have guessed that) and is in some ways very modern and liberal. However, in his home life he is very traditional. It was fascinating to learn more about the culture but I also became completely swept up in the lives of these real people. I had about 10 pages left when we got off the plane and I hurried to the baggage claim so I could sit down and finish it!
Next up (I'm currently about halfway through) is Testimony, by Anita Shreve.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Follow Up: Highways
Here are the answers to the highway pictures I posted last week!
The first photo was the intersection of I-10 and 610 on the west side of Houston. The second was routes 76 and 202 outside of Philadelphia. Thanks for guessing!
The first photo was the intersection of I-10 and 610 on the west side of Houston. The second was routes 76 and 202 outside of Philadelphia. Thanks for guessing!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Public Works of Art
When I'm stuck in traffic at rush hour, watching everyone frantically changing lanes so they can get on a different highway, it's hard to get excited thinking about who designed the highway. But after I read this article about different types of highway interchanges as viewed from above I was intrigued. I went on Google Maps and looked up some of the highways I have driven on and they are actually good looking! Here are two places I have driven quite a few times...try to guess what they are! I'll tell you the answers in a future post.
Hint: This one is in the Houston area.
Hint: This one is in the Philadelphia area.
Good luck!
Hint: This one is in the Houston area.
Hint: This one is in the Philadelphia area.Good luck!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Canada, Stonehenge, and Hill Country
What do Canada, Stonehenge, and the Texas Hill Country have in common? This week, it's me!
On Thursday I got this adorable package from Bridget. It made its way all the way from the cold weather in Halifax to hot Houston!
On Friday the Dude, his mom and I headed out to Hill Country for a wedding. The wedding was outside of Kerrville and was further west in Texas than I have been before. It's a really beautiful area that reminded me of Pennsylvania in some ways: the rolling hills, abundant greenery, and cows. However the cows had long horns and the hills had flat layers instead of the broken and slanted layers typical in PA.
The wedding was held at a ranch turned camp and there was lots of fun stuff to do! We swam in the river and the pool, went canoeing, and I went off this huge slide. You haul a wooden sled up to the top (an effort in itself) then slide down and watch your life flash before your eyes. It was fun but once was enough.
(notice how small the people are next to the slide)
(the view from the top)
On the way home today we stopped at Stonehenge. No, not the one you're thinking of...Stonehenge II! I had heard of this place before and some of you may have seen it on Friday Night Lights*. Imagine my surprise when we went around a bend in the road and there it was. The whole thing shows how crazy Texans are. Two guys found a big piece of limestone, decided it reminded them of Stonehenge and set out to replicate the whole monument at 75% size. It was pretty impressive!
After we left Stonehenge we stopped at the Riverwalk in San Antonio for lunch. There were lots of people out with their mothers for Mother's Day. I hope all the moms (and moms-to-be) reading this had a great day!
All in all, it was a busy couple of days but next weekend I should be able to relax somewhat. I'll be looking forward to it!
*If you are not already watching Friday Night Lights, start immediately. It's one of the best shows on tv.
On Thursday I got this adorable package from Bridget. It made its way all the way from the cold weather in Halifax to hot Houston!
On Friday the Dude, his mom and I headed out to Hill Country for a wedding. The wedding was outside of Kerrville and was further west in Texas than I have been before. It's a really beautiful area that reminded me of Pennsylvania in some ways: the rolling hills, abundant greenery, and cows. However the cows had long horns and the hills had flat layers instead of the broken and slanted layers typical in PA.
The wedding was held at a ranch turned camp and there was lots of fun stuff to do! We swam in the river and the pool, went canoeing, and I went off this huge slide. You haul a wooden sled up to the top (an effort in itself) then slide down and watch your life flash before your eyes. It was fun but once was enough.
(notice how small the people are next to the slide)
(the view from the top)On the way home today we stopped at Stonehenge. No, not the one you're thinking of...Stonehenge II! I had heard of this place before and some of you may have seen it on Friday Night Lights*. Imagine my surprise when we went around a bend in the road and there it was. The whole thing shows how crazy Texans are. Two guys found a big piece of limestone, decided it reminded them of Stonehenge and set out to replicate the whole monument at 75% size. It was pretty impressive!
After we left Stonehenge we stopped at the Riverwalk in San Antonio for lunch. There were lots of people out with their mothers for Mother's Day. I hope all the moms (and moms-to-be) reading this had a great day!
All in all, it was a busy couple of days but next weekend I should be able to relax somewhat. I'll be looking forward to it!
*If you are not already watching Friday Night Lights, start immediately. It's one of the best shows on tv.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Local Wildlife
There's a pond in the center of our neighborhood where we walk Max. We've been impressed by the variety of wildlife we've seen. Unfortunately I can't manage Max and the camera at the same time so I haven't gotten pictures, but every morning I see multiple white egrets (the record is eleven at one time!). There are a few turtles who usually stay in the water but occasionally venture out. The most unusual animals we've seen are a pair of roseate spoonbills. These pink birds are really striking and there's a pair of them which comes around. Last week we were out in the backyard and they came to a tree behind our house. I tried to get a picture but it wasn't great. Can you see them?
Max himself helped us discover this visitor last week...a Texas brown snake right next to the patio. We were relieved that the snake let Max sniff around and just stayed still!
This weekend we went camping at Stephen F. Austin State Park. We've been there once before and had been impressed by how much wildlife we saw, including one very persistent raccoon. Unfortunately this weekend the most abundant wildlife was mosquitos! Max dealt with this by spilling all his water to make a mud pit to roll around in. It was cool to see how his instincts kicked in!
Happily we did see lots of other non-blood sucking animals. The highlights were seeing a pair of male cardinals which flitted around the campsite all weekend, an unidentified yellow breasted bird, and most amazing of all an owl! We saw it as dusk was beginning...he must have just woken up! I wonder what we'll see the next time we go camping...
Max himself helped us discover this visitor last week...a Texas brown snake right next to the patio. We were relieved that the snake let Max sniff around and just stayed still!
This weekend we went camping at Stephen F. Austin State Park. We've been there once before and had been impressed by how much wildlife we saw, including one very persistent raccoon. Unfortunately this weekend the most abundant wildlife was mosquitos! Max dealt with this by spilling all his water to make a mud pit to roll around in. It was cool to see how his instincts kicked in!
Happily we did see lots of other non-blood sucking animals. The highlights were seeing a pair of male cardinals which flitted around the campsite all weekend, an unidentified yellow breasted bird, and most amazing of all an owl! We saw it as dusk was beginning...he must have just woken up! I wonder what we'll see the next time we go camping...
Monday, April 6, 2009
An awesome weekend sandwiched between awful plane flights
This past weekend I got the opportunity to fly up to New York for Jess' shower and bachelorette party. All I will say about that is what happens in Albany stays in Albany. ;-) Unfortunately I had some airline issues getting there which resulted in me arriving in Newark not at 11:50 am as planned but at 7:30 pm. Here is an idea of how my day went.
3:45 am (central time): alarm goes off. Curse alarm. Hit snooze.
3:55 am: alarm goes off again. Get out of bed. Stumble to bathroom. Remind myself that it is worth getting up early because I will be eating lunch with Jess.
4:30 am: Leave house, head to airport.
5:45 am: Board plane. Discover someone else is in my seat. Wish Southwest would fly to Newark. Compromise and sit in a different seat because I don't care where I sit...I just want to go back to sleep.
6:00 am (supposed takeoff time): Rudely awakened from my nap by a pilot announcing that the armrest in one of the emergency exit rows is broken and will not stay up, and we cannot leave until a mechanic comes to fix it. There are no company mechanics awake at this ungodly hour so they have to call someone in. That unlucky fellow should arrive in 20 minutes. Annoying woman beside me starts complaining. Loudly.
6:20 am: Mechanic is not there. I am not sleeping. They tell me I will miss my connection but I'm confirmed on a noon flight to Newark so I'll still get in by 2:30. Fine, I'll have a late lunch with Jess. I just want to sleep. Annoying woman pesters the flight attendant.
6:50 am: They don't know where the mechanic is. They apologize. I wish we would take off so they would stop making announcements. I want to punch the annoying woman next to me especially since she is going to Philadelphia and my lovely city does not deserve her.
7:15 am: Mechanic shows up, tries to tighten the screw in the armrest and is unsuccessful. Secures the armrest in the upright position with duct tape (I kid you not). I fall back asleep.
8:30 am: I wake up halfway to Atlanta.
9:55 am (Eastern time): My flight from Atlanta to Newark departs on time.
9:56 am: My flight from Houston to Atlanta (with me on it) arrives in Atlanta.
10:00 am: I go to gate agent to get my boarding pass for the noon flight. She gives me a boarding pass for a 2:00 flight. Apparently the noon flight was canceled due to bad weather in Newark. Ok, I'll have dinner with Jess.
10:30 am: Finish my walking tour of concourse C. Settle in to read until lunch time.
11:15 am: Finish book #1. Pay 13 cents for lunch because the airline gave me a $10 voucher. Feel delight at getting a 13 cent lunch AND getting rid of 3 pennies. Resist the temptation to get ice cream from the Ben and Jerry's store.
12:00 pm: Starting to get bored. Take pictures of various random things in the airport to pass the time until I worry security will think I am a shoplifter/terrorist. Resist the temptation to get ice cream from the Ben and Jerry's store.
1:00 pm: Head to my gate. Flight is still on time, hurray!
1:45 pm: Board the plane. Sit. Sit more.
2:00 pm: Announcement that no flights are allowed to take off due to bad weather in Newark. We won't know whether we are allowed to depart until the next update at 2:45. In the meantime, we are supposed to sit on the plane.
2:05 pm: Call Jess. She tells me it is sunny in Newark. Curse silently, then tell my neighbors what she said and we all commiserate. Turns out my sob story is not nearly the worst one; the girl sitting next to me was supposed to fly out yesterday.
2:45 pm: The update comes in. We can't leave. They unload us from the plane and tell us to come back in an hour. At least I can have dinner with Jess.
2:47 pm: Get in line at Ben and Jerry's.
3:00 pm: Finish my ice cream and head back to my gate.
3:30 pm: Realize that despite the fact that I packed 3 books for a 60 hour trip, I may have to buy another book for the ride home. Debate smacking my head repeatedly against the wall but realize there is no free wall space due to all the people whose flights were delayed.
4:00 pm: Board my plane, again.
4:05 pm: Plane does not move.
4:10 pm: Plane does not move.
4:15 pm: They announce that we can't take off after all and will be sitting for 45 minutes again. Jess tells me that it is still sunny and now the radar shows the storms moving even further away.
4:45 pm: They announce we can take off.
4:46 pm: They announce there is still a problem in Newark but we are going to take off anyway and "cross our fingers." 12 hours ago this would have scared me but now I am thrilled.
7:30 pm: Arrive in Newark. Jess is there. It's all worth it!
PS for those who wonder I did buy an extra book but didn't end up needing it...I still have about 100 pages left in book #3.
3:45 am (central time): alarm goes off. Curse alarm. Hit snooze.
3:55 am: alarm goes off again. Get out of bed. Stumble to bathroom. Remind myself that it is worth getting up early because I will be eating lunch with Jess.
4:30 am: Leave house, head to airport.
5:45 am: Board plane. Discover someone else is in my seat. Wish Southwest would fly to Newark. Compromise and sit in a different seat because I don't care where I sit...I just want to go back to sleep.
6:00 am (supposed takeoff time): Rudely awakened from my nap by a pilot announcing that the armrest in one of the emergency exit rows is broken and will not stay up, and we cannot leave until a mechanic comes to fix it. There are no company mechanics awake at this ungodly hour so they have to call someone in. That unlucky fellow should arrive in 20 minutes. Annoying woman beside me starts complaining. Loudly.
6:20 am: Mechanic is not there. I am not sleeping. They tell me I will miss my connection but I'm confirmed on a noon flight to Newark so I'll still get in by 2:30. Fine, I'll have a late lunch with Jess. I just want to sleep. Annoying woman pesters the flight attendant.
6:50 am: They don't know where the mechanic is. They apologize. I wish we would take off so they would stop making announcements. I want to punch the annoying woman next to me especially since she is going to Philadelphia and my lovely city does not deserve her.
7:15 am: Mechanic shows up, tries to tighten the screw in the armrest and is unsuccessful. Secures the armrest in the upright position with duct tape (I kid you not). I fall back asleep.
8:30 am: I wake up halfway to Atlanta.
9:55 am (Eastern time): My flight from Atlanta to Newark departs on time.
9:56 am: My flight from Houston to Atlanta (with me on it) arrives in Atlanta.
10:00 am: I go to gate agent to get my boarding pass for the noon flight. She gives me a boarding pass for a 2:00 flight. Apparently the noon flight was canceled due to bad weather in Newark. Ok, I'll have dinner with Jess.
10:30 am: Finish my walking tour of concourse C. Settle in to read until lunch time.
11:15 am: Finish book #1. Pay 13 cents for lunch because the airline gave me a $10 voucher. Feel delight at getting a 13 cent lunch AND getting rid of 3 pennies. Resist the temptation to get ice cream from the Ben and Jerry's store.
12:00 pm: Starting to get bored. Take pictures of various random things in the airport to pass the time until I worry security will think I am a shoplifter/terrorist. Resist the temptation to get ice cream from the Ben and Jerry's store.
1:00 pm: Head to my gate. Flight is still on time, hurray!
1:45 pm: Board the plane. Sit. Sit more.
2:00 pm: Announcement that no flights are allowed to take off due to bad weather in Newark. We won't know whether we are allowed to depart until the next update at 2:45. In the meantime, we are supposed to sit on the plane.
2:05 pm: Call Jess. She tells me it is sunny in Newark. Curse silently, then tell my neighbors what she said and we all commiserate. Turns out my sob story is not nearly the worst one; the girl sitting next to me was supposed to fly out yesterday.
2:45 pm: The update comes in. We can't leave. They unload us from the plane and tell us to come back in an hour. At least I can have dinner with Jess.
2:47 pm: Get in line at Ben and Jerry's.
3:00 pm: Finish my ice cream and head back to my gate.
3:30 pm: Realize that despite the fact that I packed 3 books for a 60 hour trip, I may have to buy another book for the ride home. Debate smacking my head repeatedly against the wall but realize there is no free wall space due to all the people whose flights were delayed.
4:00 pm: Board my plane, again.
4:05 pm: Plane does not move.
4:10 pm: Plane does not move.
4:15 pm: They announce that we can't take off after all and will be sitting for 45 minutes again. Jess tells me that it is still sunny and now the radar shows the storms moving even further away.
4:45 pm: They announce we can take off.
4:46 pm: They announce there is still a problem in Newark but we are going to take off anyway and "cross our fingers." 12 hours ago this would have scared me but now I am thrilled.
7:30 pm: Arrive in Newark. Jess is there. It's all worth it!
PS for those who wonder I did buy an extra book but didn't end up needing it...I still have about 100 pages left in book #3.
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