Never judge a book by its cover – but with The Rotten Food Cookbook, that was a hard challenge. With a very unpleasant title and bugs crawling all over what otherwise seemed like a lovely piece of waffle, it was not the most appealing of books to pick up. But the common saying holds true with this gem of a book.
Having a quick skim over the book, there were some lovely photos of some rather appetising food. With pictures of beautiful salads, desserts and stews, I was instantly attracted to the recipes that sat opposite to the enticing pictures. Then I noticed the red words. And all my warning lights switched on. The red fonts gave ludicrous instructions in preparing the food and some of the deeds were imprisonment worthy…and my stomach started to churn.
After I emptied my stomach, I sat down for a proper read of The Rotten Food Cookbook and maybe it would have been a smart idea to start with the Preface before you venture into the book. It clearly states that this book is SATIRICAL and it aims to teach people about what NOT TO DO in your cooking preparations. With that in mind, the book was thoroughly more enjoyable.
This method worked! I was so irked by the instructions in the red font that I now take that extra precaution to not do that. Also, at the end of each recipe, there is a bit more information about the specific type of foodborne illness and how you can prevent that from happening.
My only qualm with the book was the excessive amount of bad puns! The first few I could let go of, but by the third recipe, it was not only the recipes that were going to make me hurl…but the bad ‘dad’ puns too!
All in all, it was an educational read and it was a bit of fun. If you want a quick and easy way to get acquainted with what not to do in the kitchen, this is the read for you!
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