Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys

Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn

This is what I got my godson for Christmas. He’s 13 and getting interested in cooking–I’m glad! I’m also hoping the end result will taste good and end up in my belly.

Husband, for the record, was intimidated by cooking to the point where he didn’t attempt making anything from scratch until after watching 9 years’ worth of Alton Brown’s Good Eats. He can now make pot roast, burgers (with freezer fries), chocolate chip cookies (really good ones!) and he can finally run the rice cooker without screwing it up.

Other good cookbooks that don’t look too girly and are not written in scary specialized culinary language:

How to Cook by Raymond Sokolov

Seriously, a great book for someone who’s never even mashed a potato before.

Eat Me: The Food & Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin

Be prepared for swearing. There’s lots of swearing. Don’t miss the great intro by Calvin Trillin, who explains the institution and culture of Shopsin’s.

Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Ok, this last one is a bit girly-looking and pink. But the recipes are really easy, fast, written in simple language, and let’s face it, Nigella’s voluptuous figure provides a bit of extra eye-candy in addition to the mouthwatering food. I don’t think the guys will mind.

For those who are already expert in the kitchen:

Momofuku by David Chang & Peter Meehan

This one scares even me. But I really really want to make my own ramen someday.

I’m in love with hors d’oeuvres. I think that’s all I’ll eat next year.