Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook [Paperback]

I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting when I ordered this book - well, aside from interesting recipes from some of my favorite bands.

But I will admit, the recipes are interesting - and I've learned about some bands I've never heard of before, as well as some rather unusual dishes - the most unusual being "Candied Sweetbreads on a Bed of Seared Heart", provided by GWAR member Balzac The Jaws Of Death. (Be warned, though, the term sweetbreads has absolutely nothing to do with baked goods!)

You've got some dishes that would be considered traditional metalhead food in here: Incinerator Chicken Wings, the Fried Egg Rigor Mortis Cure, BBQ Pork Ribs, Mummified Jalapeno Bacon Bombs, and Welfare Nachos, to name a few.

Then you've got some fancy dishes, the kind you wouldn't expect to find at a metalhead gathering (good examples include the recipes for Sunday Brunch Lamb Roast, Prawn Bisque, and Roast Beef with Green Beans).

You've also got dishes from other countries - Roti Jala for one, Marinated Hermelin Cheese for another, and Whisky Demon Bacalao for a third.

Thus far, I've not tried many of the recipes in the book owing to lack of time, but those I've tried have turned out excellent.

The book itself has some decent weight to it, and the pages are glossy and thick - in my opinion, perfect for when you need to refer to it while cooking, as spills and splatters wipe off easily and don't get a chance to soak in. In addition, Annick Giroux's "Morbid Chef Notes" provide some valuable tips and insights into how best to cook the dishes in this book.

If you like cooking and you love heavy metal, you'll likely enjoy this book. (You may even enjoy it even if you DON'T like heavy metal!)

I wanted this book because I thought it would be kitschy and funny.
It is both of those, but it's also a badass collection of international recipes. Everything I've made from this book so far has been nothing short of fantastic.

This thing is ridiculously well-planned and simple. Every recipe has a beautiful picture and band bio, plus Annick (after making each recipe) added her own notes and tips.

Hellbent for Cooking is great, meaty deliciousness, and I love it.

What a cool cookbook! Much nicer than I expected it to be. These recipes look just awesome! And this is so well done. Highly recommended product--very nice book. Buy now!