Review (PDF) Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide To Cooking On Your Car Engine!
Giving new meaning to the term "fast food" Rest-stop grade F meat patty? Nah. Nuggets of reconstituted poultry bits? Pass. Deep-fried fish discus? No, really, thanks all the same. It's time to bid farewell to the roadside meal as you know it. Nearly twenty years ago, Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller opened the world's eyes to the beautym of car-engine gastronomy in the original Manifold Destiny. And now that another generation of both drivers and eaters has emerged, the cult classic is due for an overhaul. In this shiny, spanking-new edition, learn how to make s'mores in your Scion, poach fish in your Pontiac, even bust out a gourmet snack from under the hood of your Escalade. With step-by-step diagrams, crowd-pleasing recipes, and thorough instructions, now you can turn your car into a kitchen without ever crossing any golden arches. Hilarious, bizarre, and ultimately (seriously!) useful, Manifold Destiny is and always will be an unparalleled original. So, slap a ham steak under the hood of your car, hit the gas, and drive until you reach delicious -- which is in approximately fifty miles, depending on traffic.
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Revised, Updated ed. edition (November 18, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416596232
ISBN-13: 978-1416596233
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 8.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #143,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #46 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Cooking #134 in Books > Travel > Food, Lodging & Transportation > Road Travel #201 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Outdoor Cooking
The cooking times in _Manifold Destiny_ are given in mileage. This cookbook lists many tasty dishes and gives detailed, practical advice on how to prepare them on your car engine.It works like this: find a hot spot on your engine, then wrap your food in tin foil, wedge the package into the hot spot, and drive....Pull up the hood when you stop, then unwrap the package and chow down. I tried salmon filets with a suburban; they cooked very nicely after about fifty miles.This book is a genuine contribution to cookbook literature.
I was given Manifold Destiny in the early 1990s for a college graduation gift because my friends knew that I was going to travel a lot (and did) by car. It was a hilarious read and I enjoyed it. However, unlike the majority of reviewers here, I actually TRIED a bunch of recipes. Folks, I'm here to tell you that your results aren't as good as the read. I even secured the efforts of a couple of truckers (who had years of experience cooking food on their engines) and found out that newer cars are better insulated, making cooking anywhere on their engines mighty difficult. Not to mention that everything is STEAMED. Got that? You know what my steak with mushrooms looked like 4 hours after being attached near the hot part of the engine block? Disgusting and undercooked. Chicken wasn't much better. Steamed vegetables weren't ever completely done no matter where they were placed. I tested this in 8 different states (including Hawaii) and 4 different vehicles. My college buddy did try fish in a Chevy truck on the way to Montana. That seemed to work well, but the flavor was not that great. Manifold Destiny was a great idea whose time has passed. I'll stick to wayside stops and my campstove, thank you.
I have an old edition of this book (eighties) and I have been amused by it from start to finish. The premise sounds wacky but the authors, despite their obvious humor, are serious. Anyone who likes to cook will love this book- in fact, the more serious the better, since the book takes such a preposterously irreverent approach to recipes and dining.It's also uniquely American- I can't imagine this book being born in any other culture. Buy it, if you can find it, it's a gem.
We saw this book at a tourist shop, bought it, used it, loved it. It came in handy & worked great on our little 4-banger. As 2 students traveling up the West Coast camping, we were on a tight budget & really appreciated the cooking tips. Now over a decade later, I can't find it anywhere. : (
First read of this book was part of a lark to add something unique to a virtual drive down the Pan-American Highway from Alaska down to Argentina; high school assignment on modernized version of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. And now that there are these foil cooking pouches available, this is even easier than before. The humor is great, but this is very practical way to make a vacation a frugal one.
The first thing you are likely to wonder is why used copies of this book often go for [fifty dollars] or more in online auctions. Here's why. Once having read it, you'd really truly miss the ability to share it with disbelieving friends. I admit, I am biased, since I happen to have the same type of vehicle/kitchen used in the writing and testing of these recipes. If you own a different type of vehicle, your mileage may vary. Sorry, couldn't resist. It's hilarious reading even if you don't have the guts to try it yourself. The somewhat prosiac nature of the recipes, as derided by one reviewer, actually serves to heighten the surrealism. If you're attracted to the title, the book won't disappoint.
Manifold Destiny, how to cook on your car engine, is entertaining to read but practical in application. Imagine, if you will, dining on cajun shrimp in garlic rather than McFast Food while motoring to your destination. Recipes for Thruway Chicken Thighs, Hyundai Halibut, Merritt Parkway Veal Scalllopine or Safe-At-Any-Speed Eggplant suggest some of the haute cuisine which can be tucked under the hood of your car for an over the road treat. Presented with both culinary wisdom and a sense of humor, Manifold Destiny is fun to read but serves as a real cookbook as well. Rather than recommending specific cooking times, recipes note the number of miles you should drive before expecting you meal to be done. What a way to plan rest stops! A sure winner.
I had heard an interview on NPR with the author and decided I needed to read this book. It is so much fun I have now ordered several copies. My nephew, who rebuilds old cars, was the first to receive a copy from me. He loved it too.The next copy went to a friend who had just purchased a truck to carry equipment across country. So, of course, he had to have a copy. What truck would be complete without a copy of this in the glovebox next to the owners mannual?This is the funniest cookbook I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Who knew you would set the time of your dish by the miles between places?
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