In the opening chapter of Gastronaut, Stefan Gates teaches the audience how to make gilded Cheetos, from where to purchase the gold leaf, cost practicalities, nutritional information on gold, how to handle wafer-thin leaf and the infuriatingly tricky process of getting the gold to adhere to your tasty cheesy snack. His best advice is to keep your gilding in check -- it isn't practical to artistically coat an entire bag of Cheetos, so focus your talents on a few and scatter them elegantly throughout your serving bowl.

The rest of the book lives up to this snazzy opening chapter. Gates explores the world of making moonshine and making your own cheese. He provides dinner guides: Want to re-enact a meal on the Titanic? Stage a Bacchanalian orgy? Try out every aphrodisiac food ever? The second half of the book consists of recipes, but not in a traditional cookbook sense. Gates provides directions along with a historical perspective, his personal experiences and recommended music for each food preparation. I'm not sure I ever plan to make chicken feet stew, mackerel tartare, nettle haggis, gruel or Irish blood stew, but I sure had a great time learning about them.

Gates is a master humorist who has crafted an educational and enjoyable book about experiences with food. I thoroughly enjoyed my armchair seat for his adventures in food for the romantic, the foolhardy and the brave.

by Jessica Lux-Baumann
Rambles.NET
28 October 2006