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Monday, March 21, 2011

Bite Me! No ... really! Cookbook Review



As soon as I saw the press release of this cookbook, I knew it would be fun! I mean look at that cover. How could you not love that! The truth is, Bite Me is a fairly unconventional cookbook, probably quite a bit different from most cookbooks you own, and maybe most appealing to the younger crowd, though we older folks enjoy a bit of humor too.

Written by sisters and self proclaimed passionate eaters and skilled feeders, Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat, you'll find a wide range of recipes to suit just about any appetite.


"Life's too short to
stuff a mushroom."
                      ~Shirley Conran, Author

Scattered about the cookbook are quirky quotes like that called "Bite Me Bits," many of them from movies. A quote from Winonna Ryder in the 1994 movie Reality Bites, "He's so Cheesy, I can't watch him without crackers," is alongside a recipe for Creamy White Bean Spread with Asiago Crackers (that will literally make you hungry just looking at them).  There is some silly photo styling, a variety of toys posed with pictures of recipes, and just plain funny images scattered about the cookbook that will truly have you laughing out loud.


The chapters are divided up by category, ranging from Appetizers to Dessert, but with titles like Grab Me (Appetizers), unDress Me (Salads), Meet Me (Meat), and Fork Me (Desserts). The recipes all sound pretty good to me and I have plenty of them bookmarked to try.

Cookbook Review: Bite Me: A Stomach-Satisfying, Visually Gratifying, Fresh-Mouthed Cookbook
Crunchy Tortilla Chicken with Avocado Dip

You'll find appetizers like Slacker's Stacked Sushi, and Dyn-o-Mite! Asian Meatballs made with hoisin and apricot jam in the chapter Grab MeUnDress Me offers up Strawberry Salad with Sugared Almonds and Chopped Greek Salad as just two of several salad courses you'll find.

H-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

In Respect Me, the section on veggies, you can find offerings like Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips and Parmesan Crusted Asparagus. Crave Me, the pasta section, has a Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pasta that sounds fantastic, and a Deep Dish Meat Lasagna to tempt your taste buds.

Fantastic 4 Mushroom and Cheese Lasagna

For the section on the bird, Gobble Me has Smokin' BBQ Chicken, Magical Moroccan Grilled Chicken and Bang-On Roasted Turkey Breast, while Catch Me brings you recipes like Crunchy Baked Sea Bass and Sweet Citrus and Spiced SalmonMeet Me, the chapter for meat lovers, features Braised Beef Short Ribs and Beef Fajitas with Southwestern Rice.

Apple Coleslaw

In Join Me, you'll find brunch foods, where I have to tell you I fell completely in love with Sweet Noodle Pudding - Exposed! Being a rice pudding gal and not a noodle pudding consumer, I had never eaten the sweet noodle dish made with egg noodles that you hear about during the Jewish holidays.  I not only made this recipe once, but twice just a few weeks apart from one another, and just thinking about it makes me crave it again. It is downright addictive - who knew?!

Sweet Noodle Pudding - My New Addiction!

You'll also find recipes like Apple Streusel Muffins, and Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread there as well as the Twinkorette Peach Crumb Cake.  In Fork Me, the section on desserts, you'll can choose from recipes like Naughty-Turned Nice Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Easy as Pie Strawberry Apple Crisp, among many others.

Chunky White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (psst.. you can find these on the site.)

The Twinkorette Peach Crumb Cake was born out of a need to find a substitute for the out of control addiction that Julie, one of the authors, had for Twinkies. The recipe isn't really Twinkle-like but it is marvelous with sliced peaches spread between layers of a sour cream cake batter, producing a delicious dessert that was nice and moist, with a just right little bit of a crunch on top. Great on its own, I decided to sift a light layer of powdered sugar on top, which was a perfect accent, though I think a glaze made with the juices of the canned peaches would also be excellent drizzled on top.

The giveaway is over, however you can grab the recipe by clicking this link, but also be sure to check out the author's Bite Me Cookbook website where you will be sure to get lost in the fun. Pick up a copy of Bite Me at your favorite online bookstore or a retailer near you.

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Disclosure:  I received a free review copy of this cookbook plus two additional copies to give away.
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