Reviewed by annieb123 on
The Unofficial TikTok Cookbook is a fun cookbook and recipe tutorial collection curated by Valentina Mussi. Due out 7th July 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
Social media is definitely here to stay. It's compelling to be able to instantly connect with like-minded (obsessed) fans for *any* niche worldwide, 24 hours a day. We all love looking at funny and adorable cat and baby videos which flit across our facebook and media feeds. TikTok moved the bar higher when it exploded onto our consciousness in 2017 (or really, 2018 for most of us outside Asia).
This is an exuberant, colorful, fun collection full of whimsy. The book is arranged simply and logically with an introduction which attempts to explain the appeal of the extra-ness of TikTok food. Almost everyone loves cheeseburgers, but how about topping that burger with fried mozzarella? The sheer overwhelming abundance of YouTube, Instagram, and other social media food channels show that food culture is more popular and accessible than ever.
The recipes are grouped by category: drinks, breakfast, snacks, lunch & dinner, and desserts. Each of the recipes contains an introduction, yields, ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar, and step by step instructions. Ingredient measures and temps are provided in American standard only. Most of the ingredients can be easily sourced at any well stocked grocery store in North America. There's a metric/Celsius conversion table included at the back of the book. The book also includes a cross referenced index with ingredients. The photography is very good and nearly every recipe includes one or more color photos.
This is a very youthful, upbeat, exuberant and very very fun cookbook. It would be a great choice for newly flown kids living on their own for the first time, adults who would like to up their fun-food game (perhaps including younger family members in the cooking process), and influencers hunting those "likes". Readers of all ages who have a sense of fun and whimsy will find much to love here.
Five stars. Although I would normally ding the book a half star for the *very* ephemeral nature of the recipes, in this case it's the entire *point* of the book. So bring a dash of adventure and for the target audience, enjoy.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 4 April, 2021: Finished reading
- 4 April, 2021: Reviewed