The Chopped Cookbook Review

The Chopped Cookbook
Author: Food Network Kitchen
My rating: 4/5 stars

Summary:

From the hit show on the Food Network, this cookbook is about inspiring the everyday cook in the kitchen to create amazing dishes with what they have around them. Can you make something with potato chips, chicken, and marshmallows? You might say no, but I'm sure the contestants on Chopped can. This cookbook teaches you how to make food from whatever you've got in the kitchen.
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My thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading through this cookbook. I absolutely love Chopped on the Food Network because it's a cooking show that employs creativity and a crazy time limit to make a dish. It's fun to watch and I wish I could taste these crazy things the contestants make. But now, with this cookbook, I can make my own crazy dishes and taste them too.

This cookbook is very accommodating. It is organized into a few main sections and those sections include vegetarian and gluten-free options. There's nothing the average person can't make or eat. Also, it is very educational. It has some really neat tables and charts that explain why blank is used for blank, and it also has substitutions. I love a book that teaches me new things.

The layout of the cookbook is really great. It is organized and clean, so that I completely understand the  recipe and directions. My only criticism is that I wish every single dish came with a photo. Only a select few do have them. Sometimes my eyes are my mouth, and with a cookbook that wants you to prepare weird dishes, I need to see it before I dive in and make it. I understand that it would be a huge cookbook with those added pages, but I'd be all for it.
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Would I recommend The Chopped Cookbook?

Yes, I would absolutely recommend this cookbook. If you love watching Chopped like I do, you will feel like a contestant, but without the time limit....the judges....the whole national television thing. Okay, it's not really like Chopped, but you get to make delicious things from weird ingredients. And that's a boatload of fun! I would recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves cooking, loves a challenge, and especially loves the show Chopped.
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Resources:

For more information about the cookbook, click here.

Information about the author can be found here.
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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Vacation Video

Hello all!

I just went on a vacation to Door County, Wisconsin for my mom's 40th birthday! It was absolutely beautiful and I made a surprise video for her (and everyone else) to remember the trip!

I love photography, but I'm not the best at making videos, but I gave it a shot!

Check it out here or visit my YouTube page!

Thanks! :)

Link: http://youtu.be/Y1BUeAWkEmQ

William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back Review

William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back
Author: Ian Doescher (and William Shakespeare...kind of...not really)
My rating: 5/5 stars

Summary:

In this sequel, the classic Star Wars characters are on another epic journey in a galaxy far, far away. William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back is the exact plot of The Empire Strikes Back, the fifth (second made) Star Wars film.
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My thoughts:

Ian Doescher has done it again with William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back. This book is so witty and, just like the first book, William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope, it follows the story from the films perfectly. Since the fifth film has so many Shakespearean qualities - love, death, epic battles, mentors, a tragic hero's hubris (pride) and hamartia (flaw/downfall), etc. etc., this book fits extremely well (better than the first) in the Shakespearean style.

One aspect I enjoyed even better than the original film was Doescher's Lando. In this book, Lando has his own asides (or monologues) which lets us understand Lando's point of view better than in the film. His character in the film isn't as developed, so we don't see how he handles his emotions in betraying his friend and his dealings with the Empire. It's great to see this in Doescher's version because the book isn't just a Shakespearean replication of the film, it's also his own idea and story.
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Would I recommend William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back?

Yes, I would definitely recommend it. It reminds me of the films so much, but it puts a witty Shakespeare twist on the story. Also, the illustrations are amazing! I would recommend this book to Star Wars fans exclusively. With this book, it's better to have a knowledge of the Star Wars storyline and everything in order to appreciate this book. Though it is basically the same as the film, it just makes it much better being a Star Wars fan and being familiar with the storyline when reading it. However, I would also recommend this to readers of Shakespeare and humor.
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Resources:

For more information about the book, click here.

For information about the author, Ian Doescher, click here.

Also, don't forget to check out this awesome book trailer on YouTube.
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By the way, I had the privilege of meeting Ian Doescher at C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, this past Spring. He was very friendly and he even signed my copy!

This book is published by Quirk Books.