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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regan
Corndogs. Real ones and veggie corndogs. Love!
Jackie Perchinske
I can't say I ever had anything unusual cooked on a stick. Instead I will have to say that my favorite thing on a stick is a roasted marshmallow. I remember countless times as a girl scout or when camping where we always roasting marshmallows over an evening fire. Of course I do like them a little burnt:)
romanholiday
Vietnamese Chao Tom: ground shrimp mounded onto sugarcane sticks and grilled. Heavenly. Thank you for doing this!
sharonjo
I love grilled pineapple so I often make kebabs with pork tenderloin or chicken chunks and pineapple--so good. Thanks.
sharonjo at gwtc dot net
Anonymous
This past weekend, I made sweet & sour pork on a stick. It was wonderful, and I have a new favourite grilling recipe.
Tim
Gotta Love Corn Dogs!!
Live to Cook
I'll go a completely different direction and say Popsicles & ice cream! Just saw a great blog post for Mango Habanero popsicles
http://theqspot-quinney.blogspot.com/2011/05/mango-habanero-popsicles.html
Nickname unavailable
My favorite from someone else is the Texas State Fair chocolate covered strawberry waffle balls (don't judge me...)
At home, its to be the lamb kofte I make. Mint, cumin, garlic lamb goodness. On a stick.
Dollwood Farms
Corn Dogs, or shrimp. Thanks. 🙂