Talk with Your Mouth Full: The Hearty Boys Cookbook

Chicago's Hearty Boys broke through as the first gay couple to have their own TV show,as well as win Food Network's "Next Food Network Star." They brought their catering skills to a national venue,showcasing their "retro with an edge" style. They have a sense of camp like the Puppini Sisters,and a sense of taste & class like Pink Martini. "Talk with your mouth full" is hardly everyday food,let alone 30 minute meals. Dan Smith and his business- and life- partner Steve McDonagh bring fancy meals to the table. They have sophisticated appetizers like chilled beets and asparagus with nasturtiums, caviar deviled eggs, and truffled mashed potatoes. Forget quiche. They have goat cheese and red pepper torte. One of their simpler recipes is pearl barley tabbouleh,they give Chef Boyardee a run for his money with their leek and cremini ravioli with red and yellow tomato concasse. They have a fancy shellfish polenta,along with salmon Wellington and seared ahi on wonton crisps. There's a sense of class and delicacy with the presentation; everything looks too good to eat. They give wine & cocktail pairings,as well as timelines. This is cooking for crowds,not everyday. It's cooking to impress. If these two men are "unduly feminine",they're doing a good job at it and should stick with it! One Catholic priest claimed that homosexuality leads to art collecting & eating sweets. He should've stopped with his condemnation if he saw the creative desserts the Hearty Boys cook up. They have Almond Punch (for marzipan fans). There are chocolate cream cheese cupcakes,pretty normal,along with more avant garde desserts like chocolate risotto with orange ganache and rosewater cupcakes with grenadine frosting and sugared rose petals. The entire cookbook is artistic. Delicious! The Hearty Boys have a delightful rainbow of dishes. Bon appetit!

I had the pleasure of meeting Steve and Dan at their new Studio. I participated in "Karaoke Cooking" as a guest of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau. Guests were able to do a three minute cooking show which they filmed. The parting gift was their cookbook. I haven't been able to put it down since! I tried one recipe, the Fingerling Hash, and it turned out great. I love the stories and the suggestions for entertaining. I'm buying two to give as presents because I liked it so much!

I loved everything about this book. The recipes, the pictures, the stories, the menu ideas...I could go on and on. It's my new favorite cookbook.

This cookbook is filled with great recipes. The authors' personal comments also make it an interesting and fun read with their anecdotes about family members and catering experiences. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to cook and entertain.

This is a fun cookbook, it's colorful, easy to read and uncomplicated. This would make a great gift for new (and old) brides.