Beat That! Cookbook (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Irreverent and witty, Beat That! is one of the most amusing cookbooks I've ever read?and it's full of delicious, mouthwatering recipes besides. Hodgman, author of Beat This! (Chapters, 1993), promises "the very, very best recipe" for more than 100 favorite dishes from apple crisp to waffles, and she makes a pretty convincing case with such recipes as Party Shrimp, The Roast Beef, and Kurt's Potato Salad. Food police beware: she likes bacon, butter and cream, and, especially, desserts (but she doesn't eat that way all the time). With its irresistible recipes and its irresistible prose (her introduction to vegetables alone is practically worth the price of the book), this unusual cookbook is highly recommended.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Delicious recipes . . . spiffed up and presented in an easy format and with witty comments." The San Francisco Chronicle

"[Hodgman’s] brash attitude and obvious skill are a winning combination." The Miami Herald

"Ann Hodgman is that rarest of creatures: a humorist and a cookbook author whose recipes really work." Newsday

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (October 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395971780
• ISBN-13: 978-0395971789
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #685,515 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For cooks who like their food seasoned with laughter, April 3, 2002

By	Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ann Hodgman, former humor writer extraordinaire for the sadly missed SPY MAGAZINE, has come back to an overjoyed audience with her "Beat This!" and "Beat That!" cookbooks. The titles refer to the gauntlet flung down by Hodgman, challenging any and all to come up with a better recipe for, say, corn chowder (she calls hers "milkish, but not milkoid"), pasta salad, oatmeal cookies, and so on.

Some fun selections from Hodgman's kookily ruminative head notes on the recipes:

[On Bacony Split Pea Soup] "I know we all need to eat lower on the food chain, and at my house we're trying. Still, there's no denying that any split pea soup tastes a thousand times better with a hefty dose of smoked meats. This recipe gives you double value--bacon AND a ham hock."

[On Mrs. Westerman's Almond Pastry] "Where is Mrs. Westerman these days? When I was growing up, she was a friend of my mother's who made wonderful Christmas ornaments and also this wonderful almond pastry. In one cookbook I've seen, this recipe is called 'Spanish Breakfast Pastry.' I beg to differ! Mrs. Westerman is not Spanish!"

The book's recipes are frankly and proudly eclectic, as is Hodgman's sense of humor. She has the gift of sounding as though she's sitting right next to you as you read--her conversational writing style is absolutely a hoot, and the recipes work. Every single one that I've tried has been a keeper, which is more than I can say for a lot of more uppity-crust cookbooks out there.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost impossible to beat, September 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Beat That! Cookbook (Paperback)

What a shame Ann Hodgman's first cookbook, Beat This, is now out of print. Coupled with its newer sister, the duo would have made the perfect bridal shower gift for a dear friend. The recipies are great, and often feature unusual twists on old favorites, that really do make the recipies unbeatable. Equally as important, they do not involve esoteric ingredients, over complicated or fussy cooking techniques. Just plain good eating without unnecessary fuss.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beat That! Really is unbeatable., October 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Beat That! Cookbook (Paperback)

How do we, as people who love practical and fun cookbooks, go about getting the first Hodgman cookbook, "Beat This!" back into print? It is a must for cooks who are serious about good food but not into creating new religions around spices and cuisines. "Beat That" is a continuation of the fun -- and Hodgman is the best of all possible cookbook writers, one who doesn't take herself seriously ALL the time. Actually, I want to BE Ann Hodgman.