Gentlemen, Start Your Ovens: Killer Recipes for Guys

by Tucker Shaw, Leigh Beisch (Photographs)

For the guy who thinks home cooking means presenting take-out in serving dishes instead of straight from the container, here's a crash course in taking control of the kitchen. Sixty-five killer, easy-to-make recipes cover every hour of the day (or night)from full-blown meals such as a chopped cobb salad, perfectly cooked steak, and a side of mashed potatoes to Chocolate Cherry Brownies. Snack for the big game? Chili-powder popcorn. Second date? Go for the baked Brie. Sound advice guides the uninitiated through the kitchen basics and not-so-basics with tips such as how to get the best cut of meat, which tools are really necessary (and which are not), and what to drink with each meal. Who knew Home Ec could be so manly?

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2007

About the author

Tucker Shaw's novel, WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME, follows two gay teenagers during the height of the AIDS crisis in New York City in 1990. In hard times, nothing is more powerful than friendship.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a manly man's cookbook. It's illustrated with photos of using a hand saw to cut a steak and the icon for doctoring up a recipe is a ratchet wrench. Creative recipe titles include innuendo like "Meatball Three-Way", and cheeky chapter titles such as, "Salad? Uh, can I have fries instead?" But don't let the machismo lead you to believe that this isn't a serious collection of recipes. Going with the philosophy that the best way to learn to cook is to make what you want to eat, the contents include pulled-pork sandwiches, hash 'n' eggs, and fish stew with beer and chorizo. This isn't a manual for guys who are afraid of the kitchen, i.e. it's not a novice cookbook. It's got some fun recipes in it for men with adventurous palates. I wouldn't mind adding this cookbook to my collection, but first I'm going to give it to my brother-in-law.