On a Stick!

I'm not sure I find the title of the book very appealing, but I suppose it does perfectly describe what lies within. Going beyond insipid party food that invariably clings to a short but sharp cocktail stick jabbed into a foil-covered grapefruit half, the recipes are are far more appetising. Drawing on cuisines from around the world and inspired by some of the most delicious street food, the 80 recipes for things on sticks are inspiring and dare I say, a little more sophisticated than a cube of cheese bedecked with a meagre piece of pineapple.

Savouries are good enough for the best of parties and many would add interest to a barbecue. The Bacon-wrapped Shrimp with a Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce looks particularly mouthwatering as does the Bó Lá Lôt, betel leaves stuffed with ground beef, spiced with lemongrass, ginger, chilli and five-spice.
Not only are there meaty mouthfuls but several vegetarian based options too. There are several takes on traditional foods which have been given a new twist for your amusement with Fish and Chips, Pizza Skewers and Spaghetti and Meatballs being no exception.

Of course the stick itself plays a very important part in the presentation of the food, as the page near the front of the book demonstrates. Laid out in an almost surgical fashion, there is everything from your usual bamboo or metal skewer to a rosemary stalk or a stick of sugar cane.
Dipping sauces get their own section too as they play an integral part in spicing up, adding zing or mellowing the various impaled delights.

If you want to take your sticks to the next course, you'll find recipes for desserts too, from the simple yet scrumptious Mango and Chilli Powder to the downright daftly named Frozen Elvis – don't ask!

On A Stick! by Matt Armendariz is published by Quirk Books in paperback.

Order yours now

Book kindly supplied by Mat Archer from PGUK

Recipes Every Man Should Know

Just in time for Christmas, Quirk Books have brought out an ideal fun stocking filler for the man who would like to or should be able to cook.

For those hungry guys out there, this little black book has everything a man needs to get cracking in the kitchen; Hearty Breakfast Classics, Sandwiches, Burgers & Snacks, Meat & Potato Dinners, Beer, Bacon & Bar Food and to keep the women in his life happy, Chocolate, Cheesecake & more.

Anyway, why should men cook? The book puts it thus:

•  Women think men who cook are sexy.
•  It involves fire, sharp instruments and meat.
•  Women think men who cook are sexy, and it involves, fire, sharp   instruments and meat.

Although the writing style has a jokey patter, the recipes are treated seriously in that they are well set out, but I would say that an entire novice may find some to be not so obvious, they may be more suited to someone who has had some experience with food.

This is a US publication so the weights and measures may not be that familiar to UK users, for example, what is a stick of butter?

There is a good introduction to navigating around the kitchen, the right tools, preparation techniques and cuts of meat, and in the back a decent conversion chart for measurements and oven temperatures.

Don't let first impressions be deceptive, although classed as a novelty book to placed in the humour section, it is actually very useful. Not only a man wanting to impress his partner, would benefit, but I could see it being an invaluable asset to a student living away from home too.

A perfect pocket companion for a would be cooking master.

Recipes Every Man Should Know by Susan Russo & Brett Cohen is published by Quirk Books

Hardback RRP £6.99

Order yours now

Book kindly supplied by Mat Archer from PGUK