About the Authors

Guy Fieri’s Food is a book was written by Guy Fieri and collaborated with Ann Volkwein. Both are more than qualified to be writing cookbooks or any other culinary writings due to their years in the food industry.

 

 

Born in Northern California, titled author Guy Fieri is a chef, restaurateur, and one of the world’s most recognizable and influential culinary stars. He had his own pretzel as a kid which helped fund his year long trip to France. Studying abroad allowed Guy to gain an appreciation for international cuisines and strengthen is passion for food. Guy competed on and won Food Network’s popular television competition show, “Next Food Network Star” and was awarded his own series, “Guy’s Big Bite.”  

Based in New York City and Austin, Texas, Ann Volkwein is a food and lifestyle writer and editor. She has written her own cookbooks and collaborated with many others. She is also a former culinary producer for the Food Network.

 

About the Cookbook

The book “Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Lovin’ It” was written by Guy Fieri and Ann Volkwein, and was published by William Morrow and Company on May 3rd, 2011. When I first picked up the book, I thought that it was going to just be a mashup of recipes that show off Guy Fieri’s famously over the top and in your face style of celebrity cooking but as it turned out it was a small autobiography as well. I hesitate to call this a full autobiography because this only covers relatively small chunks of his life over the span of his life and explains why these times had an impact on his cooking. These life stories can range from when he was a 2-year-old in 1970, screaming baby gibberish at a family friend, demanding crackers, and milk all the way to when he got his big break from Food Network to shoot his show “Guy’s Big Bite” on Jun 25th, 2006. As for the actual recipes in this cookbook they are divided into the types of foods that Guy found important growing up. The bulk of the cookbook is split into the type of meat that’s used like beef or seafood, but there are special considerations for sandwiches, pizza & pasta, vegetables & sides, and for kid’s section. All the recipes can require a variety of different cooking, cutting, and seasoning techniques. Some of the different techniques vary in difficulty so this cookbook has the potential to appeal to a wide range of people. Some great examples in the book for this wide range of techniques are in the recipes for the “Firecracker Wings” on page 57 (see Figure 1), and in the recipe for “Pesto-Crusted Pork Roast” on page 214. In the “Firecracker Wings” the only thing that I can see as a challenge for a regular person is a small bit of cooking vocabulary like marinate and garnish and having the ability to use a grill. With the “Pesto-Crusted Pork Roast” there is a vocabulary challenge in knowing what brine is, but the big difference is that in this recipe you will need the skill required to break down a bone-in pork loin, and if you do not have the dexterity with a knife then this part can be challenging. Luckily, the book makes up for this slightly by giving step by step instructions with pictures, that help clear up any confusion (see Figure 2). The recipes given are also good examples of what kind of cooking you will most likely be doing with this cookbook, which is what I would call “party style” cooking. Both recipes given along with most of the recipes in the book serve more than 4 people. So, a lot of the recipes would be great for big families or party style get togethers.

My Thoughts

Guy did not disappoint with this book. Filled with over 150 recipes along with color photos, Guy’s personality jumps off the pages. He provides insightful and entertaining stories about his childhood and culinary inspiration. His parents also contributed their own accounts of raising a boy who would take on the food world by storm. I enjoyed the introduction; it helps the audience understand who Guy is and where he came from. I found the recipes in the cookbook to be clearly written and easy to follow, with many of the recipes accompanied by a picture demonstrating his methods. I found the meat chapter particularly interesting because it contained photographs of different cuts of meat. The chapter on vegetables contains so much information on many different vegetables as well as recipes to use the vegetables in. The recipes I am looking forward to trying are: The Firecracker Wings and The “Bring It On” Beef Brisket. I believe this cookbook would make a great addition to any home library and would be appreciated by anyone interested in Guy’s cooking.

References

Fieri, Guy, and Ann Volkwein. Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Lovin’ It. WilliamMorrow/HarperCollins Pub., 2011.