Review: On A Stick!
, by Matt Armendariz
Ask anyone...They'll all tell you the same thing: eating food on a stick is fun, festive, and just plain delicious.
Matt Armendariz, On A Stick
And with that, Matt (from MattBites.com) is off and running. He covers traditional kebabs, like Greek lamb souvlaki. There are inspired ideas, like caprese salad on a stick, perfect for a party nibble. He has lowbrow recipes (corn dogs!), highbrow recipes (Korean BBQ pork belly skewers), and wild recipes (spaghetti and meatballs on a stick...how in the world?)
*Can anything on a skewer really be considered highbrow? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Can you tell I love this cookbook? It is filled with imagination. I see Matt and his partner, Adam Pearson, brainstorming ideas and laughing while they say "That's a great idea! But how do we get it to stay on the stick?"
Thanks to Matt's photography and Adam's food styling, On a Stick is also a visual treat. I was wondering how they would take eighty different pictures of a stick with food on it, and make each of them interesting. Now I know - the pictures are as creative as the recipes.
*Well, almost as creative. Deep fried macaroni and cheese on a stick? The Frozen Elvis, bananas dipped in chocolate, then sprinkled with chopped peanuts and bacon? There's a fine line between genius and madness, and some of the recipes do gymnastics on that line.
This is a book for adventurous cooks, looking for new ideas to get their creative juices flowing. Want a show stopping nibble for your next party? This book is a great source of ideas. Highly recommended.
The Giveaway:
[Update 6/12/2011: the winner is entry #12, Rich. His favorite food on a stick is hot dogs cooked over a campfire, with marshmallows for dessert. Congratulations, Rich! Email me through the "email me" link on my blog to let me know your mailing information.]
Matt's publisher was kind enough to send me a copy of On A Stick, so we're having a giveaway!
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in the giveaway post on my blog, telling us about your favorite food on a stick.
The Fine Print:One entry per person, and please make sure there is some way I can get in touch with you through the comment. (In other words...no anonymous comments, unless you identify yourself in the text of the comment.) The comment has to be in this post on DadCooksDinner.com; emails, entries on my Facebook page, and letters sent by pony express will not be considered for the drawing. Only entries from North America will be accepted (since I'm paying the shipping).
Entries will be closed at 9PM EST on Sunday, June 12th, 2011. I will randomly select the winner at that point. The winner will be announced Sunday. If I am unable to contact the winner by Wednesday the 15th, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!
[FCC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for my review and the giveaway.]
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David
Just classic kebabs. Marinade chicken, fresh veggies. Grill. Done.
Rich
My favorite food on a stick is a good old fashioned hot dog roast (the red natural casing franks you can only get in New England)made from sticks freshly cut in the bordering forest(hardwood only please)and for dessert.....marshmallows cooked on the same sticks!!It tastes like summer to me!
Scrappinshannon
Shrimp on the BBQ is one of my favorites. I love grilled veggies too. This book looks interesting, does it have a lot of sauce dipping recipes? for those tasty stick foods....
Michael J
I'd say jalapeno corn dogs or pigs in a blanket as far as traditional goes. I had monkey on a stick in Thailand and it was delicious. Can't be afraid to try new stuff!
Heidi
I like bbq-ing shrimp on a stick to go on a salad. Oh, and marshmallows for smore's are pretty awesome too! 😉
Adam
I love mom's swedish meatballs on a toothpick!
Also toasted marshmallows!
JJ
I'm going to have to say that my favorite food on a stick is chicken with some sort of peanut sauce - more so if it is spicy. I know it could be made w/o the stick, but the stick just makes it more fun!
Ashley
Corn dogs. But not just any corn dogs. Fletchers corn dogs at the state fair of Texas.
Liz
Fresh corn dogs are my favorite!
Tina L
I love a good grilled kebab... but have to admit that the pics of the corn dogs have made me really hungry! I'd love to win this book. 🙂
Josh
If you are talking about meat on a stick kabobs are good, but nothing beats a good piece of beef teriyaki. State fairs are a great place to try foods on a stick. My favorite had to be the fried twinkie. The problem with foods on a stick is they are usually fried and not very healthy.
Kate
Of course food on a stick is awesome! No need to dirty up the silverware, and even your fingers stay clean. It's yummy AND efficient!
Kristi in the Western Reserve
I've only had very traditional kabobs with grilled steak, red onions and peppers. I like them a lot, but you can see I need a creativity boost here!
Patrick Smith
I like to do kabobs separately - beef on one skewer, chicken on another, veggies on another - so I can control the cooking times of the various meats and veggies - and there will be veggie only skewers for my wife - who is a vegetarian-type person. And meat only skewers for me - a meat-type person!
Alicia at Poise in Parma
In my opinion, you can't beat grilled meat and veg on a stick in kabob form.
...although the corn dog on the cover is looking awesome right now...