How to Repair Food [Paperback]

Marina C. Bear (Author), John Bear (Author), Tanya Zeryck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998

You need never be embarrassed by bland, burned, or otherwise substandard food-and the book's a hoot to read, even if you haven't suffered a kitchen disaster...yet.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you are a moderate klutz in the kitchen, you will immediately comprehend the title of, and the need for this book. The authors offer sensible, forgiving, and humorous tips on salvaging your latest culinary meltdown and turning it into something edible, and even tasty, if you're lucky! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"They combine the practicality of Heloise with the humor of Dr. Ruth.""There are thousands, if not millions, of books that will give you a detailed description of how to broil, bake, grill, saut?©, deep fry, and slow-cook. There are probably thousands more that discuss the intricacies of any given nationality'¬?s cooking. But this is the only book that will tell you how to repair what the previously mentioned books encourage you to attempt. ...this book'¬?s organization will become a lifesaver." -MGW Newspaper (Mom Guess What!)

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press; Revised edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089815555X
• ISBN-13: 978-0898155556
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.4 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,494,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly helpful kitchen hints, with attitude., March 17, 2000

By 

Stephen Foster (Seattle, WA United States, via Scotland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Repair Food (Paperback)

The cover copy sums it up perfectly: "What to do when you discover that just about any kind of food or drink is ... overcooked | undercooked | stale | burned | lumpy | salty | peppery | blank | too spicy | frozen | mushy | too dry | too wet | flat | tough | too thick | too thin | wilted | fatty | collapsed | curdled | or stuck together"

You won't use it very often, but when you NEED it ... when your guests are waiting, and something dreadful has happened to your masterpiece, you'll be glad this slim volume is at hand. It is packed with truly helpful, and sometimes ingenious, suggestions on how to fix just about any possible kitchen problem. Don't have enough broccoli? "Cover it up with hollandaise sauce. Everyone knows hollandaise sauce is terribly rich, so they'll eat less."

As you can see, the advice is not served plain. The authors obviously decided to have fun while writing, and the result is often startlingly funny. I read this book from cover to cover, laughing often, and learning plenty in the process. Bland mushrooms? Add marjoram. Overdone steak? "Continue cooking it until it is completely charred and use it to scratch pictures on the walls of your cave." Ketchup won't pour? Now, now, I can't be giving away ALL the authors' secrets ...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very silly but truly valuable, May 25, 2003

By 

Brian Connors (Yarmouth, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: How to Repair Food (Paperback)

This book probably appeals most to two kinds of people: those who don't cook and therefore are stuck when the recipe in BH&G doesn't pan out they way they expected, and the typical Alton Brown kitchen science person who not only has I'm Just Here for the Food but Cookwise, Kitchen Science, the complete Best Recipe series, and a sufficiently warped sense of humor to be rolling on the floor on each and every page of Kitchen Confidential. Pity that, because it's good for far more than just those two groups.

This book is really about crunch-time creativity (especially when the crunchy stuff is stuff that shouldn't be crunching). The sense of humor in the book is a bit dotty and (Julia) Childish, but it really goes out of its way to portray cooking disasters as something not to cry over, and even tells the rather sad story of the chef François Vatel and his suicide over a misunderstood fish order to make its point. It's not a book for culinary purists -- creative uses abound of convenience foods that most wannabe master chefs wouldn't normally touch -- but keep in mind the best section of your average church/school/community cookbook is probably the section on hints, tips, and substitutions, and remember that this is a whole book of that kind of thing. It's the culinary equivalent of a hospital crash cart.

Someone else said that this is something you will need mainly in emergencies. Well, that's pretty much true, but it's still a good book to pull off the shelf and just read, both for the information and the jokes. It also has the bonus of including a complete (rather sophisticated) meal made entirely with "spare parts" ingredients and instructions on dealing with balky equipment. Good stuff, and should be on every cook's bookshelf, not just the ones who need it most.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "May this be the least used book on your shelf", March 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Repair Food (Paperback)

This was the inscription that was written in the book when I received it from a friend as a wedding gift 8 years ago. As a new bride, and not familiar with cooking back then, I pored through the book many times. I have to say, that I do not need to use the book anymore, but I still pull it out every now and then to read becuase it is so funny. Since I have a number of friends and family getting married this year, I thought that it would be a perfect gift. It is a humorous book that combines common sense with the humility that we all make mistakes.