Literary Squared Circle #4 – J.R.’S COOKBOOK
Last week, Memorial Day ushered in the unofficial start of summer. Though summer won’t officially begin until June 20th, the weather is getting warmer and it’s time to fire up the old backyard grill. If you’re in need of inspiration as to what to cook on that grill, look no further than the book the Literary Squared Circle is reviewing this week, J.R.’s Cookbook: True Ringside Tales, BBQ, and Down Home Recipes by Jim “J.R.” Ross (World Wrestling Entertainment, 2003).
To date, the WWE has released three cookbooks: Can You Take The Heat? (2000), J.R.’s Cookbook (2003), and WWE: The Official Cookbook (2019). J.R.’s Cookbook is, by far, my favorite of the three. It is not as gimmicky as Can You Take The Heat? which contains recipes like Sgt. Slaughter’s Mess Hall Dip, Jerry Lawler’s Chicken à la King, Michael Hayes’s “P.S.” Potato Skins, Billy Gunn’s Grilled Badd Ass-paragus, and Mark Henry’s “Sexual Chocolate” Cake.
Nor is it as pun loving as The Official Cookbook which includes recipes for NWOatmeal, Nacho Man Randy Savage, Mick Foley Guacamole, Braun Stroganoff, and Coffee Kingston. What you’ll find in J.R.’s Cookbook are actual family recipes which were passed down to Good Ol’ J.R. and his late wife, Jan. Examples of the down-home recipes you will find are: J.R.’s Famous Fried Potatoes, Grandad’s Moonshine BBQ Sauce, Mama’s Strawberry Bread, Jan’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce, and Granny’s Lemonade.
J.R.’s Cookbook features over 100 recipes, in eight distinct categories. The recipes are broken down as follows: “There’s the Bell” (breakfast fare), “Sandwiches and Burgers”, “Fixin’s” (condiments and sauces), “Breads”, “Salads and Sides”, “The Main Event!” (main dishes and entrées), “Who Wants Dessert?”, and “Libations and Drinks”.
So, what are the best options offered up in the cookbook for summertime grilling? A few suggestions would be the WrestleMania Burger!, J.R.’s BBQ Chicken, J.R.’s Baby Back Ribs, Piledriver Pork Chops, Slobberknocker Salmon, and Grilled Harvest Corn. In addition to the delicious recipes, Ross also provides grilling tips, recommendations on the proper grilling utensils, and convenient charts featuring suggested grilling times and temperatures.
The thing that sets J.R.’s Cookbook apart from the other two WWE cookbooks, and made it my favorite, is that interspersed amongst the recipes are top ten lists (“ten things to never say to Vince McMahon”, “top ten arenas for best catering”, etc.) and short stories from Jim Ross’ career (how he got into the business, the origins of his iconic black hat, etc.) and personal life (his battle with Bell’s Palsy, his obsession with Oklahoma football, etc.). The inclusion of these stories made the book more than just a collection of recipes. His personal stories give readers the opportunity to get to know Ross as more than just an announcer on TV. J.R.’s insights and opinions concerning the wrestling business enlighten readers to the behind-the-scenes workings of professional wrestling. This was just a taste of what was to come. He would expound upon many of the topics years later in his two bestselling memoirs, Slobberknocker (2017) and Under the Black Hat (2020).
What are you waiting for? Pick a recipe from J.R.’s Cookbook. Fire up the grill and get your grub on! Don’t forget to pick up a bottle (or two) of J.R.’s BBQ sauce!
4 Stars out of 5
To date, the WWE has released three cookbooks: Can You Take The Heat? (2000), J.R.’s Cookbook (2003), and WWE: The Official Cookbook (2019). J.R.’s Cookbook is, by far, my favorite of the three. It is not as gimmicky as Can You Take The Heat? which contains recipes like Sgt. Slaughter’s Mess Hall Dip, Jerry Lawler’s Chicken à la King, Michael Hayes’s “P.S.” Potato Skins, Billy Gunn’s Grilled Badd Ass-paragus, and Mark Henry’s “Sexual Chocolate” Cake.
Nor is it as pun loving as The Official Cookbook which includes recipes for NWOatmeal, Nacho Man Randy Savage, Mick Foley Guacamole, Braun Stroganoff, and Coffee Kingston. What you’ll find in J.R.’s Cookbook are actual family recipes which were passed down to Good Ol’ J.R. and his late wife, Jan. Examples of the down-home recipes you will find are: J.R.’s Famous Fried Potatoes, Grandad’s Moonshine BBQ Sauce, Mama’s Strawberry Bread, Jan’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce, and Granny’s Lemonade.
J.R.’s Cookbook features over 100 recipes, in eight distinct categories. The recipes are broken down as follows: “There’s the Bell” (breakfast fare), “Sandwiches and Burgers”, “Fixin’s” (condiments and sauces), “Breads”, “Salads and Sides”, “The Main Event!” (main dishes and entrées), “Who Wants Dessert?”, and “Libations and Drinks”.
So, what are the best options offered up in the cookbook for summertime grilling? A few suggestions would be the WrestleMania Burger!, J.R.’s BBQ Chicken, J.R.’s Baby Back Ribs, Piledriver Pork Chops, Slobberknocker Salmon, and Grilled Harvest Corn. In addition to the delicious recipes, Ross also provides grilling tips, recommendations on the proper grilling utensils, and convenient charts featuring suggested grilling times and temperatures.
The thing that sets J.R.’s Cookbook apart from the other two WWE cookbooks, and made it my favorite, is that interspersed amongst the recipes are top ten lists (“ten things to never say to Vince McMahon”, “top ten arenas for best catering”, etc.) and short stories from Jim Ross’ career (how he got into the business, the origins of his iconic black hat, etc.) and personal life (his battle with Bell’s Palsy, his obsession with Oklahoma football, etc.). The inclusion of these stories made the book more than just a collection of recipes. His personal stories give readers the opportunity to get to know Ross as more than just an announcer on TV. J.R.’s insights and opinions concerning the wrestling business enlighten readers to the behind-the-scenes workings of professional wrestling. This was just a taste of what was to come. He would expound upon many of the topics years later in his two bestselling memoirs, Slobberknocker (2017) and Under the Black Hat (2020).
What are you waiting for? Pick a recipe from J.R.’s Cookbook. Fire up the grill and get your grub on! Don’t forget to pick up a bottle (or two) of J.R.’s BBQ sauce!
4 Stars out of 5
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