Book Review: On A Stick!

Kabobs. Skewers. Cocktail picks. Toothpicks. Pops. Food On A Stick! is fun to make, fun to share and fun to eat, and that is what Matt Armendariz's new book, On A Stick! is all about. Matt is a photographer and author of Matt Bites, a popular food blog, and when he (and his publisher, Quirk Books) offered us a review copy of his book, we bought some bamboo skewers and jumped* at the opportunity.

After a brief introduction consisting of descriptions of various stick-ware, dips and sauce ideas, the book is organized into two parts: "Savory Foods on a Stick" and "Sweet Foods on a Stick." The total recipe count is 80, and they are, as promised, "party perfect." There are a few we've seen before (think beef teriyaki, chicken satay and frozen bananas), but these are vastly outnumbered by unique and creative ideas one could barely imagine possible (spaghetti and meatballs, fish and chips, chocolate-covered cheesecake...all On A Stick!). The past weekend brought with it a toddler's birthday party, to which we brought our own version of Matt's "fruit salad skewers with sweet and fluffy sauce;" they were gone in about 10 minutes.

The author's straightforward and personal writing style, easy-to-read recipes, and fun tips and tricks all make this book a must-have for every cook who loves to entertain. The photographs are excellent - eye-catching, mouth-watering, and reminiscent of all things summer. There are great ideas for kid-friendly foods and even a few adult-only recipes (red and white sangria pops you say? We say heck yeah!). Suffice it to say, if you love to throw parties, or your favorite thing to eat at the fair is a corn dog, this book is for you.

*Okay, we jumped a little slowly... the book is available now at Amazon.com (luckier for you, dear reader, as you won't have to wait!).