It’s no secret that I love a good cookbook. I have a bookcase full of them, so anytime I’m asked to review a book I jump at the chance. The premise of this book intrigued me — it’s written for men who don’t normally cook and suggests making dinner as a romantic gesture, just in time for Valentines day (the book’s official release date is February 14, 2010, suggested retail is $25 per book, softcover)
My criteria for a good cookbook varies slightly based on the intended audience. In this case the intended reader is a male who is not accustomed to spending time in the kitchen. So my expectations are:
- Simple recipes with clear, detailed instructions
- Pictures of the finished product and any steps that may seem tricky to a novice
- At least one fail-proof recipe
I read cookbooks like most people read novels, cover to cover. I’m looking at how they provide direction, can I follow it, am I confused at any point in the process and are the recipes “do-able.” My definition of “do-able” varies. If you pick up a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Childs, you should expect to spend a few hours in the kitchen; it’s the nature of the beast. A book that promises dinner as romantic foreplay shouldn’t leave the man so exhausted that he falls asleep before the dishes are in the sink.
This book has a number of pretty serious flaws. That’s if you overlook the cheesy pandering in the introduction where the author all but promises that after cooking a meal like this you can expect panties to fly off at high velocity and likely you’ll be doing it on the table pushing the dishes to the floor Hollywood style.
First the good:
There is a section on setting a romantic table. With the exception of men who work in the culinary industry; I bet that the table setting isn’t something they pay much attention to. For most men I’ve known, the table-setting is utilitarian, not mood setting. However going to the trouble to light candles, get flowers and set a pretty table is likely to melt her heart. It’s a good section.
He offers a section on kitchen tools and a glossary of terms. Great for first time or new cooks who may view their microwave as their primary cooking tool.
There are some suggestions on setting the mood prior to the date which are cute.
The recipes are pretty universal in appeal and the book is organized by menu with some additions in the back. Example menu: Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa, Baked Pesto Bread, Garden Salad with herbed yogurt dressing Lemon Tart with Raspberry Coulis and a wine suggestion.
There are color photographs of the finished dishes which helps.
Now, my criticisms:
Most of these menus would take me, a fairly accomplished cook; between 90 and 120 minutes to prep and serve. While some shortcuts are offered, they are still time consuming, especially if the reader has limited knife skills. The recopies don’t provide cook/prep times which is HUGE for planning and one of the most difficult things for even accomplished cooks. I can see dinner being served at 10:00 or 11:00 — so late that the romance becomes more difficult (or is that just because I’m pushing 40 and I value sleep more than a 20-something?)
There is basic information missing. For example, as this is for people who don’t cook often, I think it’s fair to assume that dicing a mango may be a new skill for at least a good percentage of readers. There is no discussion of the pit and how to wrangle it. Let me paint this romantic picture: Gentleman is excited to be making a special dinner for his lady, but he’s running a little behind and nervous. He skins the mango which is now nearly impossible to hold, he’s probably using a dull or flimsy knife. He doesn’t know there’s a giant hairball like pit that runs in a totally funky shape up the middle, knife slips and 12 stitches later he’s so doped up on pain killers that romance isn’t even in his vocabulary and he’s hoping he hasn’t lost function in his thumb! This is easy to avoid by giving people a heads up. (Also there is no discussion of what makes a good knife or the importance of sharp knives)
The same recipe suggests using a flexible metal spatula to remove the skin from the fish after grilling it, but there are no photos. If you don’t know what you are doing this is a great way to go from salmon fillet to salmon chunks which while not tragic would be disappointing to the cook. More guidance would have been helpful.
While there are color photos, many of them are taken on angles which are very artistic, but not educational. It’s really hard to see how some of the food was plated.
There are many typos which made me wonder about the proofreading. For example in the Lemon Tart recipe the paragraph on making the crust shows up twice, which isn’t huge, but it’s a mistake that leads me to wonder about others.
In the lamb osso bucco recipe (which otherwise would have been the foolproof entry) red wine appears on the ingredient list twice (once 3/4 cup and the second entry is 1 cup) This would make sense if perhaps the directions called for adding wine at two separate points, but that’s not the case. So I’m left to wonder how much wine should I really use. Also in the same recipe it calls for chicken broth and beef broth – which could be intentional, but after the wine listing I’m concerned; especially because there’s a section on making veal osso bucco and it directs you to substitute chicken broth for the beef broth — so does that mean double chicken broth?
The book promises a french toast recipe (what could tug at the heart more than breakfast in bed after a romantic evening) but I guess the recipe didn’t make the cut and the reference was not removed.
I’m also disgusted by the frequent references to buying things like demi glace and a chef’s coat on “www.Cooking2GetSome.com” (imagine ladies how romantic to see your man in a “cooking2getsome” chef coat, he may as well greet you at the door and say the only reason I cooked dinner was so you’d put out so you better plan for that because now you owe me)
So overall my recommendation is skip this book. There are lots of cookbooks that focus on novices that have better descriptions. There’s nothing less sexy than feeling like you failed and this book lacks the kind of direction that will help ensure success. Also — perhaps it’s just because I’m not the right audience, but the constant references to a sexual payoff are a turnoff. To be certain coming home to a nice dinner, no matter how simple would be fantastic, and I am certain that it would be a special evening we’d both remember. A true romantic gesture has no end-game other than to make your special someone feel extraordinary, otherwise the gesture is cheapened.  This book ends up reading like a “how to get in her pants guide” for frat boys; even suggesting that if you make one recipe you should consider taking Viagra.
Thanks for the constructive feedback. The typos will be corrected in the next edition due in March. As for detailed instructions this is a work in progress and things like dicing a mango, properly dicing shallots, etc… will be available in video format which we feel will be even more helpful for the newbies. We tested the menus on novices in the kitchen and everyone who participated got through their recipes unscathed and in plenty of time for romance, which was overwhelmingly the response we received. Thanks again for the feedback and keep up the great work with your admirable site.
Thanks Eric, I wish you the best in your endeavors.