Cooking Comically, Tyler Capps

Cooking Comically: Recipes So Easy You’ll Actually Make Them

 

Tyler Capps

Category: Cookbook; Comic Book

Synopsis: A cookbook with a comic book flair.

Date finished: 8 March 2014

Rating: ****

Comments:

I can’t remember where I heard about Tyler Capp’s website, but as soon as I visited, I knew I had to buy his book when it came out. Now, I’m not into comic books. In fact, I’ve never read one. But his website was just too charming. The book is a compilation of his web recipe/comics.

First of all, the book lives up to its subtitle. These are recipes so easy you’ll actually make them. Capps offers a “difficulty meter” for each with notes such as “cook must be can-opener certified” and “must be able to operate a pot.” There are photos of ingredients and various steps as well as the finished product. And of course, there’s a comic man offering his asides throughout.

This is not a flashy cookbook. Capps uses old pots, pans, and utensils. He has red Formica countertops. The photos very much give the impression of a young bachelor cooking in his rental’s kitchen. In a day when recipes and cookbooks have become over-glamorized food-porn, it’s nice to see photos of how most of us get food to the table. No fancy La Cuisine cookware here. Amen.   

This would be a fabulous cookbook for college and high school (and I’d say younger, too) students. The recipes are accessible, using ingredients that you can find in any grocery store. Some use prepared items to save time. The steps are clear, and the recipes aren’t complicated. With the comic book approach, I think this might go a long ways toward getting reluctant boys in the kitchen. It would make a great high school graduation gift.

Now, before you buy this for younger cooks, I will caution about foul language. If this doesn’t bother you, fine. If it bothers you, perhaps you’d better pass. Personally, I thought the swears were in context, and I wasn’t offended. And I’m not big on foul-mouth speech.

One tiny peeve—the comic font used makes measurements look weird. I confess to spending way too long trying to figure out why he’d call for 11/4 cups of something before realizing it was supposed to read as 1¼ cups. (I did, however, find that I was still able to convert 11/4, so that made me proud-ish.)

Would you recommend this to a friend?

Yes. Especially guys.