Oh God, those whose kitchen shelves are already sagging will groan, not another cookbook! But this cookbook is really different and, above all, very, very funny.
The principle of the Mix-Max cookbook is very simple and most people will be familiar with it from their childhood. My children's book was called "Männchen wandle dich" and was divided into three parts that could be folded over individually. This meant that different heads could be combined with different bodies and legs and each variation was fun and surprising. This is exactly how the Mix-Max cookbook works.
Whereas with other cookbooks you are presented with the finished dishes, here you have to get active yourself and start flicking through the pages. The recipe pages are also divided into thirds and each section contains its own small dish, which can also be combined with the other ingredients.
Here we go. First page: sausage, tomato sauce and pasta. Yes, that could work, even with turkey, which is on the next page. Now a bigger leap: mushrooms with peas and polenta. That doesn't sound bad either, as does a tofu and leek curry.
So the principle works surprisingly well, even if some combinations seem a little strange at first glance. Asparagus, beetroot and pancakes, really? But why not? Just because you haven't had the idea of combining these ingredients before doesn't mean it has to be bad.
This is precisely the strength of the cookbook. It encourages you to think and combine, to be brave and try things that are not so obvious. You don't have to be a top chef to recreate the dishes. Everything is simple and the ingredients are no more exotic than curry paste, Worcestershire sauce and sausage. So there's no need for time-consuming shopping, or you can simply use the Mix-Max cookbook to conjure up something new with what you have in the house. And because everything is so colorful and playful, this unusual cookbook also works well with children.
The illustrations by Felix Scheinberger are of course a large part of the cookbook's charm. Even as a child, his love of creativity led him to cook and he still enjoys organizing kitchen parties today. Scheinberger came up with the Mix-Max cookbook together with freelance author and equally enthusiastic creative cook Doro Polstorff.
So if you are still looking for a Christmas present that is as nice as it is useful or need a little creative boost when cooking, the Mix-Max cookbook is highly recommended.
The Mix-Max cookbook
Felix Scheinberger, Doro Polstorff
24 pages, hardcover
ISBN 3833874384
14.99 euros
published by Gräfe und Unzer Verlag
www.gu.de
