Book Review: Feeding Hannibal
Heartbroken by the cancellation of Bryan Fuller’s deliciously deviant crime drama Hannibal? Fear not Fannibal, you can still feast on its tasty morsels with Feeding Hannibal: A Connoisseur’s Cookbook. Released by Titan Books, and written by the show’s food stylist Janice Poon, this book contains recipes for the beautiful and elaborate dishes prepared by your favorite cannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) throughout the show’s three seasons. Poon’s book is one part recipes for her breathtaking creations, one part instruction manual for novice chefs, and one part examination of how her collaboration with the show’s cast and crew made such visually stunning television.
As a cookbook, Poon’s work is logically organized by food category: breakfast; appetizers; main courses with meat; fish and vegetarian main courses; soups, salads, and sides; and desserts and drinks. She provides helpful definitions of common cooking terms, history lessons on the origins of certain exotic foods, and information on the real ingredients that stand in for body parts. She also writes easy to understand instructions with details on how many each dish serves, so that you can throw delectable dinner parties just like Hannibal. Poon even includes instructions on “Hannibalizing Your Table” and achieving the right look cultivated by the good doctor.
Feeding Hannibal is filled with lush, colorful photographs on bright, glossy paper that will whet your appetite if you’re an omnivore. Picky eaters need not apply, since many recipes are for exotic dishes like snail, frog legs, and fois gras. You have to be an adventurous eater and a daring chef to prepare the recipes in this book. Although Poon’s instructions are simple and she offers plenty of advice on using unfamiliar ingredients, you can’t be squeamish about using said ingredients or about reading related anecdotes like the one she shares about an onset maggot wrangler. Otherwise the book will spend more time on your coffee table than in your kitchen.
The best part about Feeding Hannibal is all the amazing behind-the-scenes information about the show that it contains. Poon includes neat sketches of her ideas, hilarious anecdotes, and detailed information about how the show’s creative sausage was made. One particularly memorable story involves an egg trick that should have needed expert assistance, but Mads Mikkelsen (professional that he is), nailed it in a single take. Speaking of the actor, Mikkelsen offers a kind foreword to the book, where he graciously honors Poon for her hard work. Hannibal might not be on anymore, although if you’re a fan, Feeding Hannibal gives you enough yummy content to satiate your cravings for more time with the characters and with Janice Poon’s beautiful food styling. Bon appetit Fannibals!
Feeding Hannibal: A Connoisseur’s Cookbook is available in stores and online at titanbooks.com.