There's a new heavy metal cookbook in stores called Mosh Potatoes (Atria Paperback), and even if you're not a headbanger, you'll find something to appreciate in this clever tome. Where else could you ever find recipes for things like "Hot Rod Penis Loaf" (courtesy of Gen from Genitorturers) or "Shrimp Clits on Grit Cakes" (thanks to Balsac of GWAR)?
In addition to the idea that one's food can be anthropomorphic and anatomically correct, Mosh Potatoes offers metal fans new insights into their favorite musicians, courtesy of 147 recipes straight from their own kitchens. The long list of contributors includes members of Helmet, The Offspring, Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament, Lamb of God, and Lita Ford. Several of Phoenix's notable metal musicians contributed recipes, too, including George Lynch of Dokken (shrimp pesto fettuccine), Max Cavalera of Soulfly (Brazilian lemon chicken), and Robert Kersey of Psychostick (beer brats).
Mosh Potatoes encourages epicureans to be hedonists, arteries and
waist lines be damned. There's a lot of booze-infused,
cheese-smothered, sugar-loaded fare here, in addition to a few healthier
and traditional dishes. Perhaps the most extreme thing on the Mosh Potatoes menu is Lemmy from Motörhead's "Krakatoa Surprise," which is preempted by a warning from editor Steve Seabury to "prepare at your own risk":
¼ pound flour
½ pound chocolate syrup
¼ pound refried beans
½ pound curry powder
1 bottle strawberry syrup
¼ bottle brandy
The recipe calls for the cook to mix the flour, chocolate syrup, beans, and curry powder; mold into a model of Krakatoa Island; then pour strawberry syrup on top to simulate lava. The last step is to pour brandy over the whole concoction, light it on fire, and serve burning.
That is one of the recipes we figure would be fun to make if one threw a heavy metal-themed cooking party. The host could pick a recipe or two out of Mosh Potatoes, and each guest would bring ingredients for the meal. Everybody could come dressed in ripped jeans and metal band T-shirts, and we could play Metallica and slam dance in the kitchen over "Jägermeister Roasted Lamb" (page 38) and "Kale 'Em All" (page 45).
But since we couldn't pull off a party over the holidays, we decided to make one of the simpler recipes in the book, "Lips's Pizza Fries," from Steve "Lips" Kudlow of the band Anvil. We only needed four ingredients: a pound of ground beef, a can of pasta sauce (we used mushroom and onion), a bag of frozen french fries, and an eight-ounce bag of shredded mozzarella.
We preheated the oven to 425 degrees, browned and drained the meat from a skillet, and combined the meat with the pasta sauce. We brought the sauce to a boil on the stove, spread the fries on a baking sheet and cooked for 20 minutes, then poured the sauce and cheese over the fries. It was simple, quick, mildly messy, and pretty tasty -- not unlike some of the better (but equally fattening) bar food we've had.
We'll definitely be making more of the recipes in Mosh Potatoes. Some of the grub rockers are preparing in the eight pages of colored photos looks super good, so we're gonna cook out with our book out.
