Rock and Roll Cook Book Pick: Are We Having Any Fun Yet? Cooking & Partying Handbook

Are We Having Any Fun Yet? Cooking & Partying with Sammy Hagar
by Sammy Hagar and Josh Sens
Dey Street Books
2015
303 pages, with index
color photos
ISBN: 9780062370006

Sammy Hagar might sing, "I can't drive 55!" but he sure can party and boy, can he cook! Are We Having Any Fun Yet? is a testament to the man's love of life and of food! From the first pages of the foreward written with love by friend and famous New Orleans chef and restauranteur Emeril Legasse to Sammy's own heartfelt musings of his grandfather's cooking and hunting  to recipes from Cabo, Mill Valley, and Maui, Sammy entertains readers with personal stories and glimpses into a down-to- earth, totally rocking guy. Many photos with famous friends are also included. It's a fascinating book that transcends the usual "recipe" book.

Sammy gives background to visiting  a then sleepy beach town called Cabo San Lucas and opening the Cabo Wabo, meant to be a small beach bar  and the  struggles of keeping it running in the early  years. It's fascinating to see the day to day problems  of opening a rock venue and  in a foreign country on top of that. Fast foreward to today: the Cabo Wabo is and continues to be a successful business--no doubt due to Sammy's personality and his take on fresh, clean  food done right.  From Cabo Shrimp to Lobster Burritos to Tomatillo Salsa Sammy has the goods and can hook you up. From the bar in Cabo, Sammy opened up other locations and a line of tequila and other spirits.

With culinary friends like Emeril and Guy Fieri, Sammy's kitchen rocks! If Cabo is where Sammy gets his party on, Mill Valley is where he relaxes and settles in with wine and Osso Buco. Recipes for Chorizo and Pork Loin Paella make the mouth water, with photos of food that make the soul happy and Sammy's stories, like Sammy himself, always are full of life and humor.

The last destination Sammy calls  home is his Maui residence. Oceanfront and tranquil, full of fruit trees and a bounty of vegetables, it truly is a garden of Eden sans evil  serpent. Cooking and creating with year round fresh ingredients opened up a world of food for Hagar. He includes numerous cocktail recipes, many using his own spirits.

Truly a fun read and trip through parts unknown (thank you Anthony Bourdain), Are We Having Fun Yet? asks. Well, the answer is, "Yes, this is fun!"

Highly recommended for fans of rock, Hagar fans, foodie fans, spirits fans and anyone who enjoys great storytelling. This is vintage Hagar. A great gift for anyone with a little rock and roll and a little spice!

Recommended grade 9 and up. Profanity, cocktails, rock stories, and sheer fun!

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Foodie Pick: Voracious

Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books
by Cara Nicoletti
Little Brown and Company
2015
274 pages with index and recipes!
ISBN: 9780316242998

Supremely satisfying, divinely dulcet, and totally transcendent, Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books is sure to satiate the most voracious readers, eaters, and foodies.  Cara Nicoletti marries two passions of life: reading and eating. The two truly are connected after all.

Nicoletti shares each book and her own thoughts about the food found within and what it brought to the characters, tone, and plot of each novel. From Nancy Drew to Charlotte's Web and Where the Red Fern Grows  to Les Miserables to the Aeneid to Middlesex, Nicoletti delivers  up her dish on great books and the culinary creations they inspire.

To Kill a Mockingbird impacts many readers with its message of defending the underdog. The novel is full of food (as is the South). Nicoletti regales readers with descriptions from the book: "....scuppernongs, dewberry tarts, peach pickles, hickory nuts, cherry wine, butter beans and Lane cake..." I thought I was the only reader on the planet who was bothered by some of these foods. I was fourteen when I read To Kill a Mockingbird, and I took to the dictionary for a definition of scuppernongs--this was a  pre-Google, pre-Internet era. I discovered scuppernongs are a variety of grapes that grow in the South. I looked everywhere for someone who could tell me what the heck a Lane cake was. Finally I found an old Southern lady on the golf course--where else?--who told me Lane cakes are popular in the South and loaded with booze ("shiney"--i.e. moonshine). To Kill a Mockingbird brought the South to life for readers everywhere. Biscuits are a staple of every diet in the South. They are so prevalent In Maycomb, Calpurnia shines Scout's shoes with a biscuit. In honor of Harper Lee's classic, Nicoletti provides a recipe for Biscuits with Molasses Butter. She also gives cooks helpful tips throughout. For example, you can freeze pre-formed, unbaked biscuits.

For The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Nicoletti writes about the description of Ichabod Crane and his "insatiable and all-consuming hunger." Ichabod is  a lowly school teacher, not a wealthy landowner. He salivates over Katrina Van Tassel's family table and their hearty meals. Everywhere Ichabod goes, he sees an abundance of food, "...he beheld vast store of apples; some hanging in oppressive opulence on the trees; some gathered into baskets and barrels for the market; others heaped up in rich piles for the cider-press. Farther on he beheld great fields of Indian corn..." In honor of Ichabod, Nicoletti offers up Buckwheat Pancakes to which you can add toppings of maple syrup, peanut butter, bananas, honey, or smoked salmon which she admits with humor,  "I've tried them (the pancakes) with all of these toppings, for research purposes, of course."

Rebecca, my all time favorite Gothic read, gets full literary and culinary treatment here. The food abounds in this novel. There is literally food everywhere and it is shocking to see the depth and breadth of it. For breakfast they dine on: "...scrambled eggs and bacon, fish, boiled eggs, porridge, and ham...and entire table of condiments for the toast and scones--jam, marmalade and honey--as well as dessert dishes and mountains of fresh fruit." The narrator in Rebecca never reveals her name which makes this  novel all the more creepily Gothic and romantic.  For Rebecca, Nicoletti gives a nod to our nameless heroine and creates an ambrosia called  Blood Orange Marmalade.

Readers will devour every recipe and anecdote with gustatory glee. This novel is a treasure trove for the eye, the mind, the soul and the palate. Truly a rare find!

Highly, highly recommended for foodies, readers, cooks, chefs, and eaters everywhere. If you know a foodie, this book is a delectable gift that they will treasure! This is one book I will return to again and again for the food and for the stories!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Foodie Pick: Guy on Fire: 130 Recipes for Adventures in Outdoor Cooking

Guy On Fire: 130 Recipes for Adventures in Outdoor Cooking
by Guy Fieri and Ann Volkwein
William Morrow
2014
342 pages with index
ISBN: 9780062244710

Foodie fun for wannabe and gonna-be chefs! Rock star chef and megawatt personality Guy Fieri keeps it real and that's what viewers of Food Network love about him. His full on fun personality, wit, wisdom and Guy-isms: "off the hook," "that's money!" "That's the real deal," "off the chain," and a ga-zillion other ways to describe food keep viewers watching, young chefs dreaming, and the public hungry to buy his cookbooks.

Guy on Fire is sure to please even the most skeptical outdoor cooking enthusiast. Fieri loves to cook outside, but unlike the ordinary back yard griller, Guy throws extreme  tailgate bashes and participates in serious "que" contests. Everything he does, he does with passion and brilliance. Fieri includes a Master Tool and Equipment List which is comprised of everything any outdoor chef would need including a wine opener, cast iron Dutch oven, a  hatchet, basting brushes, and multiple cutting boards--different colors for each meat--and no wood boards (due to contamination of cooked and raw meats and wood contaminates easily).

Pages are lively and nearly  edible. "Guy's Straight-Up Burgers with a Pig Patty and Donkey Sauce" are sure to jump start taste buds--a burger made from bacon?! Sounds like heaven wrapped up in rainbows and glitter! Every recipe comes not only with ingredients and instructions, but Fieri adds helpful prep tips that will save time. Fieri adds a brief  note to most recipes or tells a funny "Guy"  story--fans of his will find this cookbook a great addition to their kitchen.

Tailgating used to mean ingesting overcooked  brats, boring  hot dogs and soggy burgers, but not in Fieri's extreme tailgating world. It's go big or go home. Who knew Bacon-Wrapped Scallops Glazed with Maple Butter was even a possibility in a parking lot? Fieri lists supplies needed for a successful tailgating event: trash bags, paper towels, wet towels, two ice chests--one for food and drink and the other just for clean ice. How many tailgaters out there put this much thought into an ice chest just for ice?

Photos of recipes are always expected in a successful  cookbook, but Fieri also includes family photos of backyard BBQs and parties, tailgates and contests. Illustrations by Joe Leonard capture the fun mood and party vibe.

Guy on Fire make the perfect gift for that cookbook collector or foodie fan. Anyone who loves to grill, camp or tailgate would like this book as a gift.

Highly recommended for cooking fans of all ages.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

YA Book Giveaway: The Green Teen Cookbook

 

read my review here

 

Calling all foodies!

 

I have ONE free copy  of The Green Teen Cookbook up for grabs! For your chance to win, post a comment to the blog and please include your first name, city, state and email contact (sorry USA addresses only). Deadline for all posts is Friday, August 22. The winner is chosen randomly by Randomizer and will be notified by email on August 14. Please check your email on that date. Winner has 24 hours to respond. The book will ship from New York. Good luck and start posting!

Join the blog tour here


Kirkus Reviews:

"This by-teens, for-teens cookbook focuses on specific ways teens can live a healthy, environmentally conscious life without sacrificing the food they love. . . Cleanly laid out with photos of the teen contributors and the dishes themselves, this introduction to green eating is informative without being preachy."  - Kirkus Reviews
From the publisher:

BOOK DESCRIPTION The Green Teen Cookbook: 

The Kitchen can be one of the trickiest places for young adults to navigate—add trying to be healthy, eco-minded, and budget-conscious, and things get even more complicated! Now there is The Green Teen Cookbook (Zest Books; ISBN 978-1-936976-58-4; $14.99 PB) to help guide teens through the mysteries of the kitchen and create some amazing meals. With inspiring tips on how to cut through the chaos of going green as well as master over 70 recipes, including a seasonal key that ensures optimal freshness (and a minimal carbon footprint), any teen can become a green culinary expert and learn how to: shop on a budget; get the most out of your pantry; cook more consciously; eat healthier, and more! Featuring full color photos throughout, The Green Teen Cookbook is an all-in-one guide for eating green and eating well—by teens and for teens! 

This book is for people who enjoy cooking great, seasonal food for themselves as well as for other people—on a budget. It’s a guide for customizing recipes for each season, and for learning how to appreciate the different foods available each month. And readers looking to educate themselves on the food industry will enjoy the essays about globalization, vegetarianism, imports/exports, farming in the US and abroad, and much more.

 

The Green Teen Cookbook: Recipes for All Seasons - Written by Teens, for Teens edited by Laurane Marchive and Pam McElroy

Published by Zest Books and distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ISBN-13: 978-1-936976-58-4; July 29, 2014; $14.99 PB, 144 pages; Ages 12+

Green Teen Pick: The Green Teen Cookbook

The Green Teen Cookbook: Recipes for all Seasons--Written by Teens, For Teens
edited by Lauran Marchive & Pam McElroy
Zest Books
2014
9781936976584
144 pages


The Green Teen Cookbook is a  unique fresh approach to eating and cooking green for teens--and big news! It's written by actual teens for their teen counterparts. When the editors asked teens for recipes that used fresh ingredients, they received thousands of submissions from around the world. They were surprised by  the excitement that teens had for food, cooking and eating green and seasonally. This little green book will excite the new chef in the teen kitchen and awaken the sleeping chef in all the rest of us.

Many cooks and eaters do not eat green or healthy. We grab and go. We overspend on produce that is not seasonal. We end up wasting food and throwing away our hard earned money. The Green Teen Cookbook shows cooks how to plan and prepare tasty food following a few easy rules.

Eating seasonally allows eaters and cooks to eat healthy, more flavorful foods at a premium price. Tomatoes in season are delicious at every meal--slice them on a sandwich, puree them for a sauce or make a nice salsa using the fresh bounty.  Zucchini and asparagus are also seasonal gifts.  Once these foods are gone for the season, look forward to eating them again next year.  According to chef Andy Gold, "Tests show that leafy greens like spinach lose around half of their nutrients in the first twenty=four hours after they're harvested." No wonder the spinach in the market is not as flavorful as that you pick up at a farmer's stand. It's been packaged and shipped, sometimes over thousands of miles! Eating local produce and products is a big boon to practicing being green. Teens support local growers and cut out the cost of transportation and the burning of fuels to transport those  goods.

Recipes run the gamut of tastes from making your own peanut butter and Chocolate Hazelnut spread (compare to Nutella) to homemade energy bars to seasonal frittatas to Sausage Bolognese to hummus to guacamole. Colorful photos accompany every page; as every cookbook junkie knows, a cookbook just isn't a good cookbook unless it comes with color photos on every page! The recipes included are easy to follow, include quick tips, and are user friendly for beginner chefs.

I say, let's roll up our sleeves, wash our hands, and start cooking! This is one great gift for that foodie tween or teen in  your life!

From the back cover: "The Green Teen Cookbook is more than just another set of recipes: it's an all-in-one guide for going green and eating well."

Highly, highly recommended for every teen wannabe chef and foodie. Grade 5-up with some supervision  for younger chefs.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Foodie Pick: Man With a Pan

Man With a Pan
edited by John Donohue
Algonquin
2011
326 pages

This is a great gift for upcoming Father's Day or any man's/boy's birthday:

Humorous, touching, quirky, and comforting, Man With a Pan is a satisfying collection of twenty-one famous authors' and cooks' stories of their own cooking adventures for their families. Throw in Mario Batali and season well with some spicy Stephen King and you have a great simmering pot of literary and culinary "tales of fathers who cook for their families."

I truly enjoyed reading tales of woe and tales of human kindness. From Sean Wilsey, living in NYC when the World Trade Center was hit on 9/11, he says, "the first thing I did was boil a pot of pasta. I made ravioli at ten thirty in the morning....and began to grasp what was happening." Pasta, it seems, helps in a crisis, even one as huge as that horrific event in American history. Each father/cook shares his favorite recipes and what's on his culinary bookshelf as well. Foodies will be sure to devour their stories and want to try their hand at some of the recipes. An interesting recipe that sounds delicious from Wilsey is "Pistachio Pesto" which I wouldn't even consider a pesto since there's no basil. He substitutes Bottarga di muggine which is gray mullet roe available on the web or in Italian specialty stores.

From Daniel Moultroup, recipes include an easy recipe for pickles and how to can fresh tomato sauce; from Christopher Little--a delicious sounding Low Country Boil featuring sausage, crawfish, shrimp and beer. Stephen King gives directions on the proper care of cooking an omelet with only a few expletives and how to prepare fish in the microwave, yes...the microwave, and a wonderful recipe for chocolate cake he calls "Pretty Good Cake."

More than one father/cook stresses the importance of getting the kids to help prepare the meal, whatever it is. This helps them take ownership and they are more likely to try what's on the menu if they help in the prep. Mario Batali tells readers not to make any new ingredient a big production. Simply prepare it and put it on the table. If the kids ask what it is, you simply say, "pesto" or "cardoons." A cardoon is a little like an artichoke in appearance or a tall stalk of celery and Batali swears they are great sauteed and then hit with a bunch of fontina cheese. I mean, what isn't delicious with fontina?

Teens who love food and have an apetite for culinary adventure are sure to be fans of Man With a Pan. With more and more fathers involved in child-rearing and cooking, more boys may pursue careers in kitchens around the world. The Food Network has made cooking cool, and chefs like Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay--wildly popular chefs with restaurants and cookbooks and huge empires making serious bank--have teen fans--many of them male--who are watching and learning.

Highly, highly recommended grade 8-up. One or two mentions of sex but no details. Some language--especially Stephen King--you gotta love him.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Food Junkie Pick: Guy Fieri Food: Cookin' It, Livin' It, Lovin' It

Guy Fieri Food: Cookin' It, Livin' It, Lovin' It
Guy Fieri with Ann Volkwein
William Morrow (Imprint HarperCollins)
2011
407 pages




Every teen foodie and fans of Guy Fieri will love Guy's latest cookbook--part biography, part family story, part photo album, and all things food, this huge book is as big, bold, colorful, and wickedly entertaining as Mr. Big Bite Guy Fieri. Guy has several shows on the Food Network and prime time television. He is known for his bold food, his fusion recipes and restaurants--Tex Wasabi's and Johnny Garlic's--and for bringing a cool rock-n-roll vibe to a network that needed an infusion of youthful fun.

This cookbook is beautifully designed, the artwork meticulously rendered by illustrator Joe Leonard ( a well-known tattoo artist). Each section has breath-taking art and photos of the cast and crew of each of Fieri's shows. It is satisfying to see the pictures of all the "behind the scenes" people who help make a half hour show possible.

Nearly every page with recipes has a photo of the finished product and the results are mouth-watering! Any reader who can thumb through this book without being hungry just doesn't care anything about food. Fieri has thoughtfully included sections for the novice in the kitchen: what to stock in the pantry, what spices to have on hand, how each vegetable is used and when it's freshest, the best way to prepare vegetables; there is even a section devoted solely to the various types of peppers from jalapeno to anaheim to serrano.

Sections include tasty treats like sauces, rubs and marinades, sandwiches, vegetables, appetizers, and Guy's signature cocktails. The Mai Tai Sorbet is sinfully appealing.

Fieri's food is bold and a little dangerous. His guacamole has beer as an ingredient--who else would have thought to try beer in guacamole?-- and Banana Pepper Sauerkraut may just be the next condiment craze--good on sandwiches, salads, hot and cold foods.

Recipes have fun (punny) names like "Good Pho You," a Fieri nod to Vietnamese soup and "Texas Hold 'Em" for a sandwich that has the meats and other ingredients baked right into the loaf jelly-roll style so you can eat your sandwich with one hand and still play your favorite card game.

The book is dedicated to Fieri's beloved sister Morgan who died earlier last year from cancer. It is a fitting tribute to someone who had such an influence on so many people including her famous brother. Namaste.

Guy Fieri Food is serious entertainment and it's a cookbook that will appeal to fans of Fieri's television shows and anyone who loves food. The novice cook would love to have a copy, too. This isn't your mama's cookbook--this is off-the-hook fun (a nod to Guy).

Highly, highly recommended grades 6-up. There are recipes for a few drinks containing alcohol but most students are probably not interested in that. They are going to pick this book up for the Guy Fieri appeal and Food Network appeal. The cover exudes all things Guy Fieri--fun and big energy, and the bold, colorful title jumps off the shelf.

I could go on and on--being a foodie and Guy-fan myself--but I have to get in the kitchen and try some of this stuff!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I saw a copy of it at my local warehouse store and knew that I wanted to review a copy. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.