We’ve just posted a video of our recent ‘Writer’s Banquet’ event hosted by Radio National Book Show’s Ramona Koval. Guests Toni Jordan, Morris Gleitzman and Andrea Goldsmith trace the links between writers, writing and food, exploring their own connection with food and cooking, reflecting on what tickles their tastebuds and uncovering the key ingredients that make it easy to eat their words. The writers share the books and hand-me-down recipes that have guided them in the kitchen as well as the snacks that refresh them at (or away from) the writing desk.
It got us thinking about some of the stranger cookbooks out there in the culinary universe. For starters, there’s banana duck with orange sauce from Be Bold With Bananas - “possibly the ugliest cookbook ever published”, reads the blurb. Car-lovers will seek out the sadly out-of-print Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine, while Christians may find sustenance in the What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook. According to its website, the Eat-A-Bug Cookbook “offers a humorous view of entomophagy (bug eating) and has some very tasty recipies. [sic]” The author continues, “Yes, I’ve eaten some of these, and they’re not bad at all, in fact, some are downright good!”
Lovers may enjoy Booty Food, “a date-by-date, course-by-course, nibble-by-nibble guide to cultivating love and passion through food.” Fancy whipping up some testicles? Serbian chef Ljubomir Erovic has mastered the art. Natural Harvest collects semen-based recipes (“Semen is an exciting ingredient that can give every dish you make an interesting twist”). In the interests of gender equality - though not, alas, of good taste - we should also include some placenta-based recipes. Bon appétit!