Scott Gold

Reading this hugely entertaining book was a lot like talking to my DH. The author and the meat aficionado with whom I live share the gospel of fat, the way of proper cooking, and the adventure of the organ meats. In other words, there wasn't a lot of new territory covered for me, but the ride was a lot of fun. Perhaps my favorite chapter was the one in which Gold participated in butchering a steer. He touched very nearly on the sacred, and brought tears to my eyes. There's a reverence I've noted in the truly devoted carnivore, and Gold has it in spades. And somehow, he gets from there to the ridiculous bull pizzle chapter which had me wincing and giggling in equal measure. The Testicle Festival write-up was also hilarious.

Recommended for foodies of all persuasions.… (more)

It took a while to read, because there was a lot going on in my life during the Month of May, and I wanted to digest this book in it’s entirety. A fun and informative read, I am very glad that I took the time that I did to read this book. I learned about the history of the meats that we eat (and some that we don’t) as well as the history of the USDA and it’s rating system. I learned how to cook Offal, and a great recipe for Goat. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys eating animals and maintains a healthy respect for those that die to feed us.… (more)

The Shameless Carnivore: A Manifesto for Meat Lovers by Scott Gold is going on the shelf with my all-time favorite books. I was drawn to the title because steak is the single food I could not live without. Ah, thought I when I saw the book, a spirited, though perhaps postured, defense of meat eating against the tenets of vegetarianism.

So I bought the book and went into the bookstore's coffee shop and sat down to read. Picture this: grey-haired lady with hot tea and a cookie holding a book with a cover picture of a fork holding slices of rare roast beef; and said lady laughing so hard tears are running down her face. If Scott ever decides to promote this book by cooking for his readers, I want to be there.

Scott set out to eat a different kind of meat every day for a month, to sample every part of a cow from tongue to tail, and to face up to the realities of butchering a living creature for the sake of nourishment. He sought out exotic meats. He cooked it in a variety of ways. And along the way he discussed meat-related issues ranging from the foundations of vegetarianism to the USDA system for inspecting meat.

I highly recommend this book. Even if you don't want to try any of Scott's recipes, you'll find the book great food for thought. (Sorry, but I couldn't resist.)… (more)