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Jeff Blank, chef and author of Fired Up!, states, "If you're looking for something really mild, you're not going to find it here." Blank, owner of the popular Hudson's on the Bend in Austin, Texas, calls this his "Fearless Philosophy," but we call it cooking with wit, verve, enthusiasm. Being fearless means having fun in the kitchen, and Blank is having so much fun that he turns the kitchen into "a trip around the world," creating recipes that are daring and imaginative as he experiments with world-wide ingredients.
The only thing starchy about Jeff Blank is his clean, white chef's jacket. Jeff does not recognize limit, and disregards the tried and true in favor of culinary adventure. He has an unfettered imagination, and his enthusiasm is so infectious that the reader will want to leap around the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand, creating every one of Blank's recipes.
What kind of recipes does an unfettered imagination produce? These are bold recipes with unexpected combinations of ingredients and flavors, and, since imagination can't be tied down, Blank has suggestions for variations. Every recipe has a guide to timing, ideas for garnishing, a short list of tools, and those variations. 'Do your own thing' the authors seem to be saying even as they guide us to new delights.
There's a Creamy Mussel Soup, and true to his promise that nothing here is bland, it is enlivened with a Spicy Jalapeño and Cilantro Dressing. Offering his variations, the inventive Chef Blank tells us that this soup, a "cleverly disguised health food," could also be made with oysters.
In another adventurous recipe, Blank combines venison, boar and lamb chops with a Macadamia Nut Lemon Honey Dressing, which he serves on top of a tasty salad. Blank tells us that we can use lamb chops only if we like, but this book is about imagination and settling for the familiar is not adventurous - we'd like to try venison or boar chops, too.
True to his promise to travel around the world, Blank grills Baby Bok Choy with Spanish Vinegar and Olive Oil. Can't get Spanish Vinegar? Bland suggest Balsamic as a substitute. If you can get the Spanish Vinegar, try it both ways and decide for yourself. There's a recipe from a friend - Eggplant a la Michael Reese- that Blank says is a vacation in Tuscany, but the sauce spans the globe and uses Asian rice wine vinegar, jalapeño pepper and Canadian bacon along with its more traditional elements.
For dessert, try Way South of the Border Ancho Pepper Pecan Pie or a Bread Puddin' with Sour Mash Sauce. That's Jack Daniels sour mash bourbon, enlivening a bread pudding already lively with cinnamon, sour cherries and white chocolate chips.
True to the Texan's instinct for outdoor cooking, there are plenty of grilling recipes, but we love this book in the winter when days are gray and boring, desperately in need of an adventure. Cooking from Fired Up! is like going to a party where everyone participates in kitchen fun.
Throughout the book are paintings by Blank's wife, Shanny Lott, which are as infectious, witty and exuberant as the recipes. Who could resist a Texas cowboy in chef's jacket riding a bucking rabbit or a Christmas chef who is a cross between Santa and good King Wenceslas? The last page in the book may be the most irresistable. Titled "All Done" Lott has painted a soiled chef's uniform on a hangar. But Lott is so talented, so whimsical, that the energy of the chef is still in the jacket. Though we have not had the experience of Hudson's on the Bend, we are told that Lott's paintings grace the walls, adding to the zest of the restaurant.
There are photos throughout by Laurie Smith and a foreword by Lance Armstrong. We easily imagine that the feisty and determined Armstrong would be fueled by this adventurous food. The opening pages offer a humorous history of Blank and of the restaurant, splashing credit and respect to the people involved with wild abandon.
About the authors: Jeff Blank has been praised by many leading periodicals. Dan Rather, former CBS anchor, has said of Hudson's on the Bend that " These guys could cook a horseshoe and make it delicious." Blank has been nominated for the "Tribute to James Beard" Award and has won the People's Choice Award at the Texas Wine and Food Festival in Austin. He is co-owner with Steve Smith of Ocotillo restaurant (Hudson's on the big bend) and is building a restaurant at Escondido to continue his 'Fearless Philosophy.'
Sara Courington worked with Blank for twenty years in the restaurant and is his muse of the written word. Blank credits her with putting his true voice on paper. She is a kindergarten teacher by day and a restaurant manager by night and the proud mother of a daughter, Addie.
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