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19 of 20 found the following review helpful:
 Possibly the most entertaining cookbook that's also useful Dec 06, 2009
By Mindy
I'm not a big fan of Coolio the musician, his songs were alright but the last time he had a mega-hit was so long ago. I am, however, now a HUGE fan of Coolio the chef! I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I ordered this but suffice it to say that I am very happy with it and will be buying multiple copies to give to all the gourmets in my life. They need to expand their repertoire anyway.
First off, I don't think I've ever read a more entertaining cook book in my life. The little side notes and descriptions are hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud all over the kitchen. Of course, Coolio pulls no punches so the language is rife with curse words and sexual allusions but that's part of the humor of it. The names of his dishes are funny, his cooking terms are comically weird (Dime bag of salt, droppings of hickory BBQ sauce) and the "hints" are drop-dead hilarious ("Only serve rare fish if it's incredibly fresh. It looks pretty, but like a good woman, it just might kill you.")Be sure to read the introduction and his Cool-mandments as they are funny, but they also explain his cooking philosophy and terminology.
Now the recipes themselves, they're actually pretty good. They're simple, use common ingredients and they taste delish! Best of all, there is a variety of them from meat dishes, vegetarian and vegan dishes, to desserts, seafood, poultry and salads. Many of the recipes are healthy but there are also many that aren't so have your pick. The peanut butter cookies were yummy and the spinach-your-kids-will-eat was simple and good.
This cookbook is definitely a keeper. I'll reach for it whenever I want something simple and yummy, or whenever I just need a laugh.
12 of 13 found the following review helpful:
"Chillax Your Chicken, Sanctify Your Salad, And Legitimate Your Lobster!" Jan 24, 2010
By Robert I. Hedges
I am the first to admit that I bought this book for the novelty factor, I mean, really? A rapping chef? In a word: yes! I do not own a single rap recording in any format, but as someone who values good and simple to prepare food, this cookbook is platinum. The book contains 76 recipes, and some of them are absolute standouts. "Kung Fu Chicken" (p. 51), "Crybaby Chicken" (p. 62), "Karate Meat" (p. 96), "Magical Fruit Soup" (p. 174), and "Bro-Ghetti" (p. 158) top my personal list of favorites.
The book is irreverent, is full of colorful and innuendo-laden language (not for kids), and does have a few idiosyncrasies, e.g. "dime bag" stands in for "tablespoon", etc. All of this is explained in chapters one and two. The book isn't big on illustrations, other than a very nice color insert section of completed dishes, and it doesn't go into great detail on techniques, rather gives simple, easy to follow directions. There are inserts from Coolio's assistant, Jarez, in the recipes giving useful and funny information (his advice on p. 75 regarding the advisability of drinking marinade is especially insightful and entertaining).
The introductions to the recipes, the recipes themselves, and even the ingredient lists are well seasoned with humor: "Crybaby Chicken" requires among other things three kinds of peppers and a box of tissues, while his vegetarian chili requires a fire extinguisher. Some of his more unusual recipes need a little explanation. As an example, his recipe "Peanut Butter Chicken Love" has this to say by way of introduction: "Chicken and peanut butter may seem like a strange combination, but they go together like gin and juice, biscuits and gravy, O.J. and prison", while the more conventional (but delicious) "Chilly Beany" explains that "I always liked chili, but I never really 'needed' it until I got stuck in a snowstorm in Moscow. I had just done a show and was hungrier than a model in Paris and colder than Ted Williams's frozen head."
It's been a while since I have seen so many simple yet genuinely good dishes in a single cookbook: there may be only 76 recipes here, but a very high proportion of them are home runs. I recommend this book for adults with a sense of humor and a love of cooking.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Easy to make recipes that taste good Nov 29, 2009
By Shala Kerrigan
I know a lot of the people who order this are going to order it for the novelty factor.
It is novel, and it's laugh out loud funny to read. Coolio keeps his spices in dime and nickel bags and it's the first cookbook I've read that needs a language warning.
But getting past the novelty into the recipes because I love to cook, this book is full of easy to prepare good food. His stated goal is to get people eating healthier and being less dependent on fast food. With that in mind, a lot of the recipes are inexpensive and have minimal prep work. 10 minutes of prep and most of them cook up pretty quickly. So you have food that's faster than getting in your car and driving to a burger place. Most of it is a lot healthier too. Use your judgment, if it calls for a cup of mayonnaise, it might be unhealthy. The recipes use a lot of canned foods and sauces to make it quick and easy. There are some very healthy options as well that look absolutely delicious. I'm looking forward to trying the chili for my family.
There are some very tasty vegetarian meals and options.
The shrimp recipes look amazing. I've used the fork steak recipe after seeing it on his cooking show and it was a huge hit with my family. He states anyone can make a good expensive steak, it takes true kitchen skill to make a good steak with a cheap cut of meat. I appreciate that philosophy. Learning the basics of cooking can make budget cooking way better than what your friends do after seeing a gourmet show and trying with the costly things.
About cooking basics- he doesn't go into great depth but he does explain the terms and methods very well including not assuming his readers know how to boil an egg.
The recipes are adaptable, basic recipes that will serve well in any home kitchen and could quickly become comfort food standbys and some of them are easily impressive enough to serve to guests with a more formal presentation.
It appears Coolio doesn't eat pork, so a lot of the recipes call for harder to find things like beef bacon, if you do eat pork, you can substitute regular bacon. The rest of the ingredients can easily be found at any big grocery store.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A book for those of us who are just a few Shaka-Zulus away from great cuisine Dec 22, 2009
By Jojoleb
"jojoleb"
Cooking With Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price is not your conventional cookbook. Coolio, the rap star and self-proclaimed 'king of the kitchen pimps,' has put together a cookbook that is usable for the beginner and one that will help you make great food from simple ingredients. Although lighthearted and humorous, Coolio's cookbook succeeds because it is simple, straightforward, and delivers the gourmet goods in an easy to read and easy to use fashion.
That being said, there are a few caveats here. When this book was first posted on the Vine, some conjectured that it was probably a childrens' cookbook. Unless you want your kids parroting back some gangsta language, including some choice four letter words, you may want to hide this one away until they hit their late teens. (Note: because Amazon has its censors and I want this review posted, I have bleeped out the expletives, when necessary, with symbols.) There will be some who are deeply offended by Coolio's attitude towards women or angered that he plays out a trite, offensive stereotype. And lets face it, my wife (and yours) probably won't let you have a gaggle of 'sauce girls' to help you with your cooking.
But if you can get by all that, the cookbook is the most downright hilarious and helpful cookbook to those of us who are all thumbs in the kitchen. And if you are willing to give it a try, you are just a few Shaka-Zulus from making some foolproof and piquant cuisine.
Coolio starts out with an introduction and quickly transitions into how you stock the pantry. He gives a simple list of 28 ingredients that are must haves and a list of 13 tools (starting with a 'set of sharp-a$$ knives). A pinch becomes a 'peench,' a tablespoon is a 'dime bag,' and a 1/2 tablespoon is a 'nickle bag,' in Coolio's terminology. Coolio then sets out the 'Ten Cool-mandments' of the kitchen. These are basically ten rules that make a whole lot of sense when working in a kitchen. He then moves on to the cooking. There are sections on appetizers, salads, poultry, meat, seafood, grilling, pasta, vegetarian treats, and desserts. All with titles containing too numerous, colorful metaphors that would really prevent this review from being posted on Amazon, so you should read the table of contents.
I did not want to post a review until I had a chance to try some of Coolio's recipes. He generally keeps things simple, yet flavorful. There are usually no more than five to ten ingredients per dish, including salt and pepper. Coolio tends to cook proteins in sauces, allowing for a cheaper, less tender cut to remain well hydrated and flavorful. The directions are as hilarious as they are straightforward and helpful. Coolio intuitively knows that some of us guys just don't know our way around the kitchen. Occasionally, Coolio adds an extra piece of equipment, for example a turkey injector in his Drunk-A@@ chicken ("They ain't expensive. F#&$, Walmart has 'em"), but 99% of the time the basic equipment is all you need. I was surprised by the great flavor in the 'My Chicken Is Having a Baby' and the real punch in his 'Karate Meat' recipe. These are about as simple as simple can be, but incredibly tasty and me and my two left thumbs were able to make them without trouble. I was even more surprised by his 'Tricked-Out Westside Tilapia.' I am usually no fan of fish and certainly not tilapia, but this simple recipe made everything taste good.
The dessert section is definitely the shortest. A little disappointing, I suppose, but what is there is definitely worth making. (It also contained the only error that I saw in the cookbook. The 'Jarez Make-It-Rain Peanut Butter Cookies' seem to be missing some flour. Hopefully, the book I received was an advanced copy/proof and this was corrected in the final edition.) [NOTE: I was clued in by another reviewer that the cookies DO work without flour. This was 100% correct and my assumption was in error. Coolio still rules the kitchen. I'll just keep following his instructions...]
Cooking With Coolio definitely makes the grade. It is a quality cookbook for the beginner in the kitchen and offers great food with minimal ingredients and effort. As unconventional as Coolio's approach seems, he has come up with an incredibly successful cookbook. Of course, the danger in this book is that you might be come too facile in the kitchen for your own good. Once your spouse realizes that you can actually make something worth eating, you'll be on the dinner rotation 'coagulating' a meal for the family a few times per week. Shaka-Zulu!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
For the beginner cook, good low income recipes Dec 16, 2009
By nowann
I grew up in public housing and would walk a few blocks down to the library to find cookbooks with recipes I could manage, being a child needing to make do for myself. This is exactly the kind of recipe book I would have been able to use. Most of these recipes center around a few very affordable ingredients that anyone could put together (garlic, onions, chicken). The recipes aren't the most sophisticated, but for someone on a low budget, or just learning how to cook, this is something that is manageable, and not intimidating.
The problem I would say is I would see this as a book appealing mostly to kids/ young beginner cooks with the type of recipes, but some of the language is a bit mature (sexual, profanity) intended for adult audiences. Granted, most kids would probably have heard the language before, but it's not necessarily something I would feel comfortable encouraging a child to read if I can help it. I feel this would have been the perfect book to give to children like Coolio and myself if he left out some of the language, but as it is, I would instead recommend this book to the beginning or low budget adult cook. This book is a good stepping stone for learning how to cook and getting interested in more complicated dishes.
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