While not a book review, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite parts of Anthony Bourdain’s new memoir, Medium Raw. I devoured it in less than 48 hours — gobbling up word after word like Ms. Pac Man does blinking pellets.

I borrowed the book from the Statesman’s Addie Broyles, who writes in her books and encouraged me to do the same. I must say that there was something so satisfying about underlining passages and writing notes in the margins. It felt rebellious and freeing – kind of like smoking a cigarette or eating bacon on challah.

Anyway, some of Bourdain’s words hit home with me and I wanted to share them with you here. For those who read Kitchen Confidential or are restaurant industry groupies like me, I recommend reading Bourdain’s new book yourself. For others, it might be too “inside baseball.” Without further ado, here are some of the passages I underlined with my black ball point pen:

“If cooking professionally is about control, eating successfully is about submission. You should be pleasingly oblivious to the movements of the servers in the dining area and bus stations, only dimly aware of the passage of time. Taking pictures of your food as it arrives, or worse, jotting down brief descriptions for your blog entry later–is missing the point entirely. You shouldn’t be forced to think at all. Only feel.”

“I should be able to walk into any restaurant in America and order my hamburger — that most American of foods — medium fucking rare.”

“I am not a fan of people who abuse service staff. In fact, I find it intolerable. It’s an unpardonable sin as far as I’m concerned.”

“It’s no longer enough to cook well, to be able to run a kitchen. You have to be able to identify and evaluate all the peopel who might hurt you–and (as best as possible) neutralize them ahead of time. One memorably bad review can punch a hole in a restaurant’s painstakingly acquired reputation, letting the air out of one’s public profile in a way that’s often hard to put back. One snarky Web site, early in a restaurant’s life, can hobble it in ways that might provide fatal in the long run.”

“In a business where something as nebulous and unmeasurable as “buzz” is seen as a vital factor for the bottom line, everybody with a keyboard is a potential enemy.”

“Just feed them for free. You’ll never have to remind them about it later. They may not  be able to help you directly–but they’ll at least make an effort to not hurt you. In addition to singing your praise early and often….they can act as your proxy, shouting down those who might question your magnificence.”

“Few are the people who, when passing the smiling woman with the clipboard from the restaurant’s PR agency, want to find themselves off that list the next time a restaurant opens–particularly if it’s a high end, high-prestige operator, or if there’s a hotshot chef involved. The thinking is: “Okay, I hate this place. But if I take too ferocious a dump on it, I won’t be welcome at the next place–which might be really good!”

“Will we, after terrifying consumers about our food supply, fetishizing expensive ingredients, exploiting the hopes, aspirations, and insecurities of the middle class–have simply made it more expensive to eat the same old crap? More to the point, have I? Am I helping, once again to kill the things I love?”

As a blogger and restaurant and food nerd, much of Bourdain’s critical commentary on the frantic tweeting, photographing, and reviewing of restaurants by non-traditional food media hit home.

As a food blogger who doesn’t consider herself a “foodie,” and as an enthusiastic participant in social media who unfollows others for over-sharing, I’m constantly trying to balance my own interest in enjoying and sharing food and cultural experiences with others and continue to respect the food that I’m eating and the people who prepared it and are enjoying it right next to me.

One of my favorite quotes on food blogging came from a dear friend Jane, who described eating a meal with me to her brother-in-law Garth as: “Where some people might ask a blessing over food before starting to eat, she takes a photo.”

I do think that taking a moment to photograph a dish before inhaling it can make us all more appreciative of the work and miracles of nature that brought it there.

For more organized and well communicated thoughts on the new book, check out The Hungry Engineer and the Statesman.

It’s so funny to me because when my mom made reservations for the night at Cypress Inn for tonight, she didn’t know that it was:

a) Co-owned by Doris Day (yes, she is still alive)

b) One of the most pet friendly hotels in the state (if not the world)

We realized there was something different about this place at check-in this afternoon when we saw a glass jar filled with dog treats at the front desk and Doris Day posters and memorabilia throughout. Day has co-owned the Cypress Inn for over twenty years and she also manages the Doris Day Animal Foundation. She turns 88 tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Doris!

Daschund with Biscuits

The Cypress Inn allows up to three dogs per room at a charge of $30 for the first dog and I believe $20 for each additional dog and they provide extras like pet blankets and pet bowls, and an area in the courtyard for washing off pets who have been visiting Carmel Beach, where dogs can run free. Carmel is also a very pet-friendly town, where dogs can go anywhere if on a leash, and many restaurants are also pet-friendly.

I’m sitting right now in Terry’s Lounge. named after Day’s son Terry Melcher. Melcher produced records by the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Papas, the Byrds and many others. He was a back-up vocalist on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album.

Lilly Filly (a Viszla)

We made friends with everyone at the bar including Lilly Filly (above) a sixteen year old Viszla and her parents who were hanging out at the Cypress for over two hours with friends.

Dinner, please!

This little guy (above) was begging for some dinner and it looked delicious to me too. Yum Yum!

This Cadillac was parked outside. I didn’t meet a dog named Eve so I’m guessing this Caddy was owned by a dog-lover named Eve. Makes sense, right?!

Scottie

This little Scottie was about 15 and enjoyed sitting in the son with his proud owners.

Tibetans with Dinner

Our favorite sighting was the two Tibetan Terriers above. The multi-colored one looked just like Cassie, who we lost just two months ago after a wonderful fifteen years.

Blogging

My Labrador screen saver was right at home in the Cypress Inn bar. That’s my mom, Linda smiling over the screen.

Me with Cassie Look a like

This blurry picture is me with the little Cassie look-a-like. He sat on my lap for a while while I was editing pictures and sipping my wine.

I think I’d like to open up an Austin Dog Friendly place very much like this special spot. They even have a menu just for dogs with hamburger and chicken options. A girl can dream….

OMG — They just started playing the theme from Snoopy on the piano. Too much!

We lost a special dog this week
the kind you can’t replace
and looking at her favorite spots
We still can see her face.

After a bath she had boundless energy
as she ran from room to room,
Launching over couches
Around the house she’d zoom.

I remember how she’d tug on my sheets
to play her favorite game,
Bouncing forward like a bunny rabbit
When she heard us call her name.

She did her guard dog duty
Each time the doorbell rang,
rolling over on her back
for a belly rub whomever came.

Our Cassie knew what she wanted
Showing us where to find a treat
She’d rope me in to go on walks
Begging mom for another piece of meat.

She strutted ‘round the neighborhood
Sniffing every blade of grass and flower
She also loved riding in fast cars
With the wind on her face for an hour.

I noticed during recent visits
Her ears and eyes were not as sharp,
No happy cries and carpet break dancing
15 years had shown their mark.

We know she’s in a special place
created for beloved furry friends,
Where treats, sunshine and fields to roam
make them strong and young again.

I picture her basking in warming sunshine
Chewing happily on a bone
With a kiss on the nose and a belly rub
Enjoying her new home.

I’ve known Bubbe for less than a year but she introduces me as one of her grandchildren to the staff and residents in her retirement community. It’s very sweet. I call her Bubbe which isn’t a conflict of interest for me because: a) all of my grandparents have passed away and b) my grandmothers were known as “Mama” and “Nagymama” respectively.

Bubbe checks her look in the mirror before heading down to the dining hall.

Bubbe is a kindred spirit. She loves food — especially dessert and chocolate (like her grandson Adam). One of her favorite topics is what they serve in her cafeteria vs. what they served at the Medallion, where she lived until this past spring. I love listening to her talk about anything, especially about her history and of course food.

Adam and I sat and talked with Bubbe, along with Marilyn, a family friend, before Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Bubbe (BB): I don’t like pumpkin pie. [turns to Marilyn] You love it?

Marilyn (M): Me? Yes, I do.

BB: I think about all that goop that you take out of the pumpkins when you make it. And, you put a lot of cinnamon in it.

Adam (A): You don’t like cinnamon?

BB: I love cinnamon.

BB: Since I’m in Texas, I love pecan pie. I’ll tell you what I eat in the pecan pie [originally from Iowa, Bubbe also lived many years in Los Angeles]. Only the top. The pecan’s are delicious. You know what is one of my favorite pies? Key lime. I love key lime. Years ago, I used to make lemon squares as a substitute to that key lime pie but I never had that lime taste. To this day, Carol (Bubbe’s niece) makes them and calls them Aunt Bessie’s Squares.

BB: I like sweet potatoes. But, I’ve never eaten sweet potato pie. I’m not sold on all the crusts. I like most of the cream pies. They serve us wonderful desserts at the Belmont. They served chocolate cream pie and….That. Is. Good. It’s the real whipped cream. I hate cool whip. Real whipped cream has a very slight beige color. It’s off-white because it has more air in it.

Bubbe reviews the dinner menu as Adam looks on

Jodi (JB): Tell us about the club sandwich.

BB: That was a mistake. The dining room is being redone. The club sandwich had ham and bacon and cheese. So I bit into it and I looked in the corner and I looked all around and I says, I gotta find a place to spit this. I split it in my napkin. I didn’t eat it. It was whole wheat bread and I didn’t eat the lettuce and I didn’t eat the tomato and I didn’t eat the cheese or the ham. I didn’t suffer from not eating it.

BB: I’ll tell you the truth, I like the food at the Belmont, and I eat a lot more different things there than I ever ate at Medallion but I do miss some of the Jewish food.

BB: Once they had corned beef. Their corned beef [non-Jews] doesn’t look like our [Jewish-style] corned beef.

Lenny at Kenny & Ziggy's, a Houston Jewish Deli

Lenny (Bubbe’s son and Adam’s dad): They steam it, they cut it thicker and they usually serve it with cabbage.

BB: So I ordered a corned beef sandwich. They didn’t have rye bread so they brought me white bread. I can’t eat white bread, it sticks to the roof of my mouth.

BB: I don’t like goyishe [non-Jewish] food. I love shrimp. I don’t like clams, I don’t like scallops [Adam tells me that Bubbe keeps "kinda kosher," except for fried shrimp which is her favorite].

The conversation continued a couple days later when Adam and I sat with Bubbe as she sat down to dinner at the Belmont.

BB: I like grape juice. It tastes like wine. That’s what i drink. it’s supposed to be good for you. Trouble is, everything I like is fattening.

BBQ Chicken Sandwich dinner at the Belmont - on wheat bread, since Bubbe can't have white

BB: I have to put it on like this because I dribble [on tucking her napkin into her shirt like a bib].

BB: I put salt on everything. They [the cooks at the Belmont] don’t put salt on anything.

BB: I can’t have white bread [to the waitress ].

BB: I can’t eat white bread, I hate it [to me and Adam].

Stay tuned for more of The Bubbe Chronicles: Eating with Bubbe. I’m hoping that she’ll let me record video of her talking about food. She is the best story teller and remembers everything and I love the way her voice gets high at the end of each sentence.

Luckily, Seth lives down the street and offered to walk over a bit early to make sure we snagged a table.

Although I don’t know Seth very well, I came to feel like I was getting to know him before we even met through his Year of the Pizza blog and Twitter account.

On meeting him in person, I proceeded to grill him (I think I might have scared him with my interest) about:

• How he gets around without a car. Living on South Congress, having a girlfriend, ahem fiance, with a car, not being afraid to ask for rides, his trusty bike.
• What he does for a living. While he currently focuses on his blog about his year of free pizza and enjoying said free pizza, he also is actively networking with folks in Austin and going on interviews (he is interested in technology and wind energy in case you know of anything).
• Favorite toppings. He loves anchovies and we ordered them on 1/2 the pizza. I tried them again and learned that I still do not — too furry and weird in the mouth. He avoids eating meat that is not locally and humanely raised so tends not to get that on his pizza. He is Jewish and would order pizza at Homeslice during Passover with just the toppings but Homeslice won’t make pizza that way so he would just eat the toppings off. Not sure if they would have made pizza on matzo if he asked — or if he did ask.
• If he has gained weight. If he has, it couldn’t be much. See photo below of a physique any couch potato would envy.

Other topics of conversation included his fiance Erin’s romantic reverse proposal, his tips on how to travel the world on a limited budget (eating out doesn’t help the cause — boo), and his great respect for the owners and staff members who work at Homeslice. His Year of the Pizza is really mostly a fan blog.

Below is a photo of our pizza, anchovies and all. Seth snapped this shot of  me photographing the pizza in a very meta, very social media conscious moment.

I asked Seth during our lunch about how he is recognized as the guy who gets free lunch whenever he walks into Homeslice. He told me that there is a picture up of him “somewhere in the back” that was taken right after he won  Hands on an Eggplant Sub (H.O.E.S.) last year but that he had never seen it.

It will come of no surprise to my regular readers that I asked our waiter to take us to the photo. He offered to bring the photo to us but we wanted to see it in it’s natural environment. The waiter led us to a small room the size of a walk-in closet near the bathrooms where two other staff members sat, working on a computer. It was crowded and I almost got nailed in the head when another waitress walked in but managed to snap this shot of the pic:

If you’re in the South Austin area this Saturday, be sure to stop by Homeslice between the hours of 12-7 p.m. to enjoy their annual Carnival-o-Pizza that will include extreme pizza eating, dough tossing, HOES, music, beer, games and more.

Seth thinks the HOES contest will begin at around 2-3 and go until the last person removes their hand from the sub. Stop by whenever on Saturday and into Sunday to cheer him on!