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What do you get when you take some culinary skill, mix in a dollop or two of sarcastic humor, and add in a whole lot of cussing: a cookbook sure to delight the taste buds and funny bone.
Zach Golden’s "What the F--- Should I Make For Dinner" -- based on the web site of the same name -- will have you rolling in your seat five seconds after opening it.
With no nonsense instructions like, “get your grill or broiler ready with medium-high heat; make sure that s--- is clean so your fish won’t stick,” this book is definitely for those with a sense of humor and little patience for fancy cooking techniques.
If you can handle the potty mouth that’s throughout the whole book, it does have some great recipes that Golden simplifies enough for most home chefs to mimic.
However, if you are looking for a huge variety of new dishes, a table of contents, or cooking techniques this book probably isn’t for you.
Golden grew up working and cooking in restaurants and is a graduate of NYU who currently works as a copywriter in the advertising business in New York City. His blog, and now cookbook, taps into an audience looking quick, yet savory answers to that perennial question–what SHOULD I make for dinner.
The recipes are simple to prepare and yet sound complex enough to impress even your snobbiest guest.
They range from prosciutto and melon with balsamic glaze and pasta carbonara to lamb sausage with figs and greens-- although a sage grilled cheese looks to be one of the favorite items in the book, “slice that s--- in half and f---ing enjoy,” as per Zach Golden’s instructions.
As a cook myself I saw some new recipes that I’d like to try, that were simple enough for my little brother to handle. The ingredient lists are short and are items you can commonly find at most stores.
Will I be passing this book around for my guests to enjoy at my next dinner party more than cooking from it? Absolutely.
Bottom line? Zach Golden won’t have you cooking like Tom Colicchio by the end of the book - but he will have you laughing so hard that you might burn yourself on those clams with andouille sausage that he’s got you making.
So head out and buy a copy, as long as your kids don’t get a hold of it.
Kris Schoels is the editor of Young Married Chic -- a blog devoted to baking, fashion, home decor and travel.
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