They Draw and Cook: 107 Recipes Illustrated by Artists from Around the World

by Nate Padavick

After starting their blog in February of 2010, Nate and Salli received hundreds of illustrated recipes from artists all over the world, which they decided to turn into a book. This book contains a sample of 107 of those illustrations that range in style from cute to goofy to absolutely gorgeous. The illustration styles range from elegant to cheeky, the recipes from drinks to desserts and everyday to extraordinary. You’ll find hilarious fare like Beetrooty-Yogurty-Thingummyji, Starving Artist Goo-lash, and Top Model Salad; international cuisine such as Moroccan Orange & Date Salad and Moules Frites; and tantalizing tastes like Marmalade Flapjacks and Chicken in Love. The perfect combination of flair and folly, this irresistible and colorful book will be a new favorite both in and out of the kitchen.

Sample recipes:

Toad in the Hole

Marmalade Flapjacks

Top Model Salad

Starving Artist Goo-lash

Chicken in Love

Beetrooty-Yogurty-Thingummyjig

Chocolate Haystacks

Turn that Frown Upside Down Cake

Coooooooookies

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Art, Cooking, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Culinary

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2011

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an excellent idea, and I can see it would be a lot of fun to look at as a blog. As a book it doesn't work very well because so few of the recipes or art pieces are particularly strong on their own. I don't need to look at the pictures more than once. Most of the food is easy and familiar (so many directions for cooking eggs!) and if I did want to make them, often they are confusingly arranged or lack sufficient directions.

One of the few that was both unfamiliar and correctly formatted for use:

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

OH HOW I LOVED THIS COOKBOOK!
And now feel the need to illustrate some recipes of my own.
It's all the good stuff, folks....whimsy, warmth, cooking, sharing with community, creativity, color. Glory.
Another one to hug to my chest and whisper kind things to as I flip the pages slowly, happily.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating cookbook that consists of drawings as well as recipes from various cooks. As might be expected, the recipes and the drawings vary in quality, clarity and artistry. (The one for Authentic Guacamole, e.g., is nothing more than a picture of a sultry brunette with a rose in her hair and the images of the various ingredients used in the bowl of guacamole she invitingly extends in her left hand.) There are no page numbers and the “index” consists of pictures of cover pages of the included recipes, their creators’s names and locations.

I have a couple of favorites that I’ve made. One is a pumpkin soup that comes with vague instructions. At first, I was irritated by the lack of exactitude. Then I saw it as a challenge. Calling upon my own experience and helpful online instructions, I was able to concoct a recipe using the exact same ingredients but with much more useful directions.

I’d recommend this cookbook to the innovative cook, the kind who likes to experiment and doesn’t always color within the lines. (Of course, with the baked goods, you should follow instructions and measurements.) If you like challenges in creating tasty dishes, try finding this on the bookshelf of your library or local bookstore.

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am on the record as loving graphic novels and comic strips and I have taken not one, but TWO classes on infographic design. Plus, I read cooks books for fun. I ought to have been the target audience for this book, but I found it a huge let down.

Organized not by meal or geography or art style, each spread was given to one artists interpretation of one dish. Some were recipes. Some were ingredient lists with illustrations, some were incoherent.

The thing about a recipe is that it has a format for a reason. I’m not against illustrating it, or interpreting it in a different format, but I want the ingredients grouped together, I want amounts, I want a cooking temperature- and most of these illustrations were missing some or all of these.
Subjectively, some of the art styles didn’t work for me, but mostly I was annoyed that they weren’t workable recipes (or even food building block ideas!)

[Kristin Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for quirky artistic books and this is just that. A visual delight. Recipes look good too. Fun to read and look at. It's a mini mental vacation.

[liberal sprinkles · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like food or art, dip into this yummy book. There're 107 recipes, all beautifully illustrated by artists from around the world. Need breakfast? How about madeleines? Looking for a more filling meal? Try the black bean chicken soup or pan-fried fish with lemon caper sauce. Prefer vegetarian? There's the colcannon - it's fat-free too. All the better to finish it all off with a rich chocolate crepe or (and??) coconut macaroons.

They Draw and Cook is a fun, colorful and creative cook book, the first spawn of the marvellous blog of the same name which is now home to several thousand recipes contributed by a variety of people. Not all are professional artists, some are folks who just love to eat or draw. The recipes featured in the book are not new, but they are still a yummy feast for the eyes. It's just too bad the book is such a lean sampling of the blog's offerings! I don't envy Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell (the brother-and-sister design team who created the blog) the tough job they must have had whittling down the list of recipes to include in the publication. If you're unhappy just skimming the surface, go over to the blog to indulge yourself.

The final selection includes recipes that should please most palates, satisfy sweet cravings, feed regular daily needs as well as cater to special occasions. The book includes everything from dips and snacks to main courses, desserts and cocktails. The foods offered for your viewing and cooking pleasures originate from all over the world, so unless you hate to experiment, They Draw and Cook is a delicious resource for different cuisines. The recipes lean towards the visual - the art is often the dominant element but the recipes are for the most part simple to follow. Another tasty thing about this collection is the range of artistic styles: there's pretty, there's stylish, there's cartoonish and there's cute. Overall, it's stuffed full of gorgeousness.

One to keep and gift.

check out my blogpost on They Draw and Cook blog which has interviews with some of the artists who've contributed to the blog
http://liberalsprinkles.blogspot.com/...

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Derived from a blog that "draws" artists from all over the world, They Draw and Cook is a colorful compendium of illustrated favorite recipes submitted to the website. Simple recipes for the most part, the kind of comfort food that is hearty and quick to make, it is a great way to experience some of the diverse, everyday cuisines of the world. Including a mix of vegetarian, meat, and desserts, there should be something to suit any palate. I tried recipes from Spain, Russia, and the U.S. While the varied art styles used by each artist to illustrate the procedures and ingredients are fun, on occasion they can be just a little bit difficult to follow, on the other hand. This is particularly hard in the case of different methods of measuring that may be hard to convert, on the cuff, to whatever standards you follow. Still, experimenting with recipes can be its own fun!

[Novel Destination · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous idea! Looking at cookbooks is a fun activity for our family and often 3 or 4 generations can bridge the gaps through cooking or recipe reading/discussions.The youngest can enjoy this lovely book because of the illustrations but the oldest are most fascinated since the idea of combining art with recipes is such a new approach to cookbooks. Kids mark what they would want to try and we set to work. The amazing drawings will lead the way...it is almost like a picture book on the table. We can't seem to leave it alone.

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty to look at, but not a user-friendly cookbook. There's no table of contents, and the only index is not of recipes or ingredients but of the artists, in order of their appearance of the book. The recipes are arranged by courses, but there are no chapter breaks to show where sections begin and end.

[Jenn Hovis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good friend of my mine gave me this book because she knows how much I love and art and cooking. I love, love, love it. It turns following do drum instructions into a visual feast. My son-who has never shown any interest in cooking-was looking at the book and kept asking if he could try recipes.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the variety of the drawing styles...as varied as the people who submit the illustrated drawings to the blog they came from. Lovely to look through and figure out the dishes, but I don't know that I will cook from it.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked about this book was that it has all kinds of recipes and refreshed my desire to try new meals again. That said, some of the recipes are written a bit sloppy (they are artists after all). I haven't actually made any of the recipes yet, but have made a long list of ones I want to try.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I won't likely ever make any of the recipes in this book, the illustrations alone make for a worthwhile hour or so of browsing!

[reading is my hustle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playful and colorful cookbook.
The mango lassi recipe is simple and yummy!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and super fun though somewhat problematic to actually use as a cookbook.

[April Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. So cool to see different styles from different artist and the variety of recipes from around the world.