Anthony Bourdain’s new book Medium Raw is the follow up to his food world changing Kitchen Confidential.  It is an easy read and plays out much the way his show does. If you like the show you will love the book.  Much of it is an insight into the NYC food seen.  One chapter where Bourdain really gets it right is called Virtue.  He preaches that it should be expected that young people learn to cook as part of their education.  That everyone should be expected to at least be able to feed themselves and a few others. Instead of getting rid of home economic classes we should have required the guys to be in there with the girls.  Not so long ago there was a time when women no longer wanted to cook and men thought cooking was for girls.  These attitudes caused an era where suddenly no one remembered how to cook. We are finally entering a new era.

            In the new era cooking has become “cool”.  Some people are learning to cook again.  So maybe now its time we make not cooking “un-cool.”  Every young man and woman should now know how to at least cook a few key things.  This seems like common sense. You have to eat to live, so why shouldn’t you know how to at least cook a few simple things.  Cooking at home usually ends up being better for you then if you were to eat out.  It can also be more cost effective.  Bourdain’s virtues consist of the following.

1. Everyone should be able to chop an onion.  Basic slicing and dicing is where most cooking begins.
2. Everyone should be able to make an omelet.
3. Everyone should be able to roast a chicken. 
4. Everyone should understand how to grill and rest a steak.
5. Cooking vegetables to a desired doneness is easy enough and reasonable to expect of any citizen of voting age.
6. Everyone should be able to make standard vinaigrette.
7. Everyone should have the ability to shop for fresh produce and have some idea of what is in season
8. Everyone should be able to recognize a fresh fish and have the ability to clean and filet it.
9. Everyone should know how to steam a lobster, crab, pot of mussels, or clams.
10. Everyone should know how to roast meat to a reasonable degree of doneness and without a thermometer.
11. Everyone should be able to roast and mash potatoes as well as make rice.
12. Everyone should learn the fundamentals of braising, as simply learning to make a beef bourguignon opens up the door to countless other preparations.
13. Everyone should know how to make stock and at least how to make a few soups as a lesson in frugality.
14. Everyone should find a few dishes they love and practice preparing them until they are proud of the results.

Is this too much to ask?  Even if everyone learned just the first five, maybe just maybe the world would be a better place. Some people think Bourdain is too cocky or even a bit of an ass. Here though, I think he may be on to something.  If you like Bourdain, check out Medium Raw.  It’s a fun read and even a bit virtuous!