Book Review: The Recipe Project

I love a good cookbook. Chefs making their culinary secrets and most coveted recipes accessible to the home cook is something that I have always enjoyed. But there comes a time when the novelty wears off that shiny new cookbook and it gets shelved, only to be referred to when needed.

I recently stumbled across The Recipe Project, which immediately captured my interest when I learned that recipes from rock-star chefs including Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio and David Chang, would be set to music from Brooklyn band One Ring Zero. I was intrigued to figure out how this would work. We all know how well music goes with food so I was anxious to hear what the band was going to conjure up. But I was surprised to find out that the lyrics for the songs are actually the ingredients and cooking directions from the recipes. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, maybe some music that was inspired by the dish, with blissful notes that would make a craving for a good pasta dish resonate further into one’s mind?

After fighting the urge not to laugh at the songs that are about cooking dishes such as Duck Breast with Dulce de Leche Ancho Chile Glaze and Octopus Salad with Black-Eyed Peas, I actually found it quite helpful. Think of it like a learning seminar; there’s a reason why turning everyday lessons (in this case, recipes) into songs always worked when we were younger and we would tune in to Sesame Street for an educational song about the importance of not bullying. There’s no wonder why something like this is so clever and can even persuade the novice chef to get cooking in the kitchen.

I enjoyed the concept so much that I was a little disappointed that not all recipes in the book are set to a song. I have to say, I’m quite curious what the songs for recipes such as “The Ugly Muffin,” and “Tunisian Tinged Drumsticks,” would have sounded like.

Some highlights from the CD:

Track One — Mario Batali’s recipe for “Spaghetti with Sweet 100 Tomatoes” is set to an uptempo Italian-inspired melody for the verse on the ingredients, with the tune slowing down when singing about the cooking directions.

Track Two — “Peanut Butter Brunettes” is reminiscent of those ‘80s classic songs that you would hear in high school. The vocals of the female singer make the song quite catchy that you almost forget it’s a song about cooking a dessert. (Recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

Track Three — “Brains and Eggs” has a ‘90s sound to it, reminiscent of The Beastie Boys. It’s a catchy tune, with the deep vocals by the male vocalist in between the rest of the band. It’s quite a long recipe, with many steps but the song remains to capture the listener’s interest right to the end of the song. (Recipe from Chris Cosentino)

Track Six — David Chang’s recipe for “Maine Jonah Crab Claws” is set to a soft slow song with quite a romantic melody. Unlike the rest of the songs, this one begins with the cooking directions before going on to the ingredients.

Track Eight — “Octopus Salad with Black-Eyed Peas”is a heavy metal song with quite a catchy beat. It’s one of my favourite songs on the CD, for sure.  (Recipe from Michael Symon)

Track Nine — The song for Tom Colicchio’s recipe for “Creamless Creamed Corn”is far from “corny” and just screams Hollywood with a upbeat soft rock tune complete with a guitar solo. It’s also one of my favourite songs on the CD.

Have a listen and let us know your thoughts on Twitter: @LifestylerFlavs

 

The Recipe Project
Black Balloon Publishing
$24.95USD, $29CAD •