To say I was surprised to be given a book to review for MacTalk would be a little of an understatement. For starters, it’s a book, sure there are “tech” books out there that I’m sure a lot of readers are interested in but it’s a far cry from an iPod accessory or a new Mac laptop in terms of what normally rocks up in the mailbox for me to paw over. The second most strange element, and probably the one that is going to have your mind slowly dripping from the walls after it explodes, is that it’s a cook book! Or as the cover so delicately describes it, a “cooking manual”. Still haven’t figured out how this relates to MacTalk and it’s readers? Well I think it best that we defer that explanation to the author, Mr. Dean Lahn:

“My mission was to find a way of feeding myself with the convenience of a drive thru. As a regular block I thought there must be many others who, like me, find themselves in the same situation.”

Yes sir, you have most definitely, you have found the Mac, Nerd, Technorati of the world and given them a magnificent document of fantastical stories and diagrams that allow us to do that most basic of necessities, provide! And most importantly provide with minimal ingredients and effort! You sir, are a man to be worshiped and revered.

Now that I’ve blown the required amount of smoke up the author’s arse let’s actually talk about what makes this such a wonderful journey in to a world less visited by my fellow peers. The book is divided into four sections denoting the various courses that one might partake; “Snaks”, “Mains” & “Afters”. You’ll also find a very handy section at the beginning of the book entitled “Qwik Fixes” that is more about getting you acquainted with your unfamiliar culinary surroundings and how you might clean certain items post use and like the rest of the book it’s full of wonderfully useful information.

The recipes themselves vary from the stupidly easy, turning your toaster on it’s side to turn it into a griller for example, to what I’d classify as “semi-challenging” involving maybe six or seven ingredients and about five steps to follow. That said the average recipe is four steps long and has about three ingredients and a prep time of around ten minutes so we’re not exactly talking gourmet rocket science here. The instructions are listed in a way they’re so simple your four year old could probably follow them so really if you can’t I shudder to think how you function as a human being.

Each recipe is accompanied by a very aesthetically pleasing diagram generally detailing how you throw the ingredients in a bowl and beat them but occasionally introducing slightly more complex scenarios such as beer cans and chickens. Yes you read that right. You’ll also find a section at the bottom of each page to document your “Mods” that you’ve discovered and wish to record.

Accompanying the book is a website, of the same name, beateatheat.com, that allows users to submit their “Mods” to the online world as well as add new and excitingly simple recipes for others to try out. The website is very slick, and considering the author is also a graphic designer from good old Adelaide you’d expect nothing less.

Perhaps I was sent Beat, Heat, Eat to review because I’ve got a soft spot for the kitchen, what having hosted a short lived online cooking show and all, but to be honest I think the majority of you out there will appreciate just how simple and fun it can be to make some pretty decent grub!

Beat Heat Eat is available from all good book stores at an RRP of AUD$19.95
ISBN: 9781862547582
Available for purchase directly from the publisher: Wakefield Press