Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine! (Paperback)

~ (Author), Bill Scheller (Author)
Key Phrases: greasing foil, injector housing, engine cooking, New Jersey, Manifold Destiny, New England (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Feeling a mite peckish on those long road trips? Pack along this humorous cookbook and whip up Cajun-style shrimp in your car or recreational vehicle. All you need are shrimp, pork fat, "whatever 'Cajun' seasonings you've seen advertised," a set of wheels and someplace to go. Cook on a medium-hot part of the engine for about 55 miles. If that's too much work, pick up several stuffed peppers (preferably from a backwater North Jersey Italian deli), wrap them in foil and pop under the hood. Maynard, a photographer, and Scheller, a travel writer, are as adept at roasting trendy cookery as they are at warming pastrami sandwiches while they drive an auto rally. They teach drivers to view their vehicles in a new way, locating cooking surfaces via the "burn your finger" method of temperature verification. They may even change the way people select new cars: the Chevrolet Celebrity GL offers six servings, while the Camry has only three but sports a bun warmer, a feature seldom mentioned in Toyota ads. The authors sober up to serve a clear warning: carelessness under the hood can be dangerous to car and driver. Illustrations not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"[A] witty, informative paperback by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller, a couple of fun-and-food-loving guys who first published in 1989 to let chefs and chauffeurs know they can cook up a right smart snack or meal using the heat of the engine while driving on a reasonably long trip." -- Chicago Tribune --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Villard (August 4, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375751408
• ISBN-13: 978-0375751400
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #739,811 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars it works!, December 2, 1999

By	Al Kihano (Iskandria) - See all my reviews

The cooking times in _Manifold Destiny_ are given in mileage. This cookbook lists many tasty dishes and gives detailed, practical advice on how to prepare them on your car engine.

It works like this: find a hot spot on your engine, then wrap your food in tin foil, wedge the package into the hot spot, and drive....

Pull up the hood when you stop, then unwrap the package and chow down. I tried salmon filets with a suburban; they cooked very nicely after about fifty miles.

This book is a genuine contribution to cookbook literature.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an enduring winner, July 23, 2001

By	Michael Christman (Sausalito, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

I have an old edition of this book (eighties) and I have been amused by it from start to finish. The premise sounds wacky but the authors, despite their obvious humor, are serious. Anyone who likes to cook will love this book- in fact, the more serious the better, since the book takes such a preposterously irreverent approach to recipes and dining.

It's also uniquely American- I can't imagine this book being born in any other culture. Buy it, if you can find it, it's a gem.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books, December 23, 2002

By	Meryse (The Shire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine! (Paperback)

The first thing you are likely to wonder is why used copies of this book often go for [fifty dollars] or more in online auctions. Here's why. Once having read it, you'd really truly miss the ability to share it with disbelieving friends. I admit, I am biased, since I happen to have the same type of vehicle/kitchen used in the writing and testing of these recipes. If you own a different type of vehicle, your mileage may vary. Sorry, couldn't resist. It's hilarious reading even if you don't have the guts to try it yourself. The somewhat prosiac nature of the recipes, as derided by one reviewer, actually serves to heighten the surrealism. If you're attracted to the title, the book won't disappoint.