New York: Rodale, 2014, 2021. 212pp.

Bad Manners: The Official Cookbook doesn’t feature a named author, but it is spinoff the blog and related podcast of the same name. (Check out both at badmanners.com). The, uh, unique approach of this book is to season the recipes it offers with a generous sprinkling of four letter words and general attitude. It so happens I season my everyday life similarly, so I find it hilarious most of the time. But, if you find that sort of thing offensive, you’ll definitely want to steer clear. I hope you don’t though, because you will be missing out on a great volume. Bad Manners: The Official Cookbook features simple, straightforward recipes, with a few easily obtainable ingredients and basic techniques. For such easy-to-accomplish recipes, they achieve a lot of flavor, and also aren’t just the same ol’- same ol’ rice bowls. This book is a perfect gift for a young person just starting to live and cook on their own. I am excited to give one to my own such young person.

The book is broken down into the following chapters with the little asterisks added by me (and again, trigger warning here if you are swear word-free): Carpe F*cking Diem – Breakfast; Short Order Sh*t – Salads, Sammies, and Mini Meals; Big-Ass Cup of Cozy – Soups and Stews; The Munchies – Salsas, Sips, and the Snack Life; The Main Event – Burritos, Bowls, and Other Bomb Meals; Sweet Talk – Baked Goods and Motherf*cking Dessert.

There are a lot of really yummy-sounding things in the breakfast section. As I am a big fan of a bar, I decided to try the To-Go Breakfast Bars. These are a little unexpected in that, in addition to oats, they call for quinoa and millet. I didn’t have any millet, so I subbed some extra quinoa, but wow – the crunch of that quinoa in these is great! I’ve never had a bar quite like it. They came together easily, and while mine didn’t cut neatly into bars, I just broke off pieces and it was fine. There are so many other things here that I can’t wait to make, like Oat Flour Griddle Cakes with Blueberry Sauce and Cornmeal Waffles with Blueberry Syrup.

I dipped into the Short Order section a couple of times. First, I did the Sweet Corn and Green Chili Baked Flautas. As with most things in this book, this appears basic, but it’s extra good! You bake these little guys on a baking sheet instead of in a glass dish, so, guess what, they get crispy! How did it take me multiple decades to get hipped to this? The tortillas I had were too big, so don’t make yours look exactly like the photo, but make these.

I also made the Grilled Eggplant with Soba Noodles. This is so good, and so easy, it has already made it into the regular rotation around here. Again, there’s no crazy stuff – eggplant, basil, the basic soy/sesame/rice vinegar combo. Soba. Basil. Ahhhhh! Everything combines into a little bowl of magic.

Any book that includes snacks and drinks has me at Hello, so yay for the Munchies chapter in here. Everything looks grand – the thing I chose to make was one of the very few things from this book that didn’t quite generate an A+. The Roasted Sriracha Cauliflower Bites with Peanut Dipping Sauce packed a bit too much heat for me, and the cauliflower came out a little mushy. I think next time (and there will be a next time) I might try tossing the cauliflower in a little cornstarch prior to application of the sauce. I’ve found that can make things glaze up a little better in the oven.

But I also made the Creamy Horchata. Once again, how I have taken up space on the planet this long without having this foamy little cinnamon drink? (I messed up and didn’t follow directions and used short-grain rice instead of long grain, so it didn’t grind up that well, and the finished product wasn’t as thick as it should be but was still very tasty. Don’t be like me; do it their way.)

The Mango Curry from the mains section didn’t wow me, and I couldn’t taste the mango. But my friend could, so I’m going to try it again when it’s not allergy season. Also, I’m annoyingly picky about curry. This is still a great place to start for a newbie cook though.

Finally, all hail for the dazzling array of great-looking but easy to make vegan desserts here. I want to make almost every single one of them. As of now, I have just made the Chocolate Fudge Pops which taste just like the soft chocolate-sicles you are used to. These are outrageously easy to make, and whatever big or little kid you feed them to will not know they are packed with protein because they are made with tofu!

I didn’t detect any mistakes in these recipes; they seem to be very well tested. And they often include little extras like substitutions and variations that can be made. Occasionally, when there is a less familiar ingredient like Liquid Aminos or nutritional yeast, it is marked with a footnote that says “wtf?” and directs the reader to the page with more information. Love it. And there are important tips here for new cooks like how to make basic pots of beans and rice. You gotta start somewhere right?

This book originally came out in 2014 by a different name. A lot has changed since then, so you won’t see vegan meats and cheeses in here. But fear not, this book totally holds up. This book is rated Vegan Beginner, but veteran vegans will love it too. I’m gonna have to get the kid her own copy, ‘cuz I’m keeping mine. F*ck yeah.

Note: I did not receive any form of compensation in exchange for this review.