Tasty - Tasty Over the Top

First things first: lets define Over the Top. Does over the top mean these are impossible recipes that require flawless technique and lots of equipment? Um, no, that book does not sound like fun at all. Does over the top mean youll be putting things on top of things? Yeah, that definitely happens here. There are also things in things, plus lots of drizzling and stuffing. But no, thats not really the point either. Does over the top mean youll be exploring flavors, presentations, and combinations youve never considered? Yes! That youll tackle things that are wild beyond belief but still totally doable? Oh yes! That these recipes will encourage you to question everything youve always known to be true and mark the moment that begins now, your new life, full of over-the-top food? Yaaaassss!!! Thats absolutely what this book is all about.

Over the top can even be a small thingoften a simple thingthat makes the everyday extraordinary, such as Tomato Soup in a Grilled Cheese Bread Bowl (whaaaat? see ) that has everything you love from the sandwich but in a salad. In this book, youll find 75 recipes that will blow your mind with their creativity, sneaky hacks, and Over the Top deliciousness.

While the recipes score big on flavor and creativity, they stay simple on ingredients and execution. For example, you may be making a Cheez-It Quiche, but youre doing it with just six main ingredients ( ). Youll see a lot of packets, jars, cans, bags, and boxes of common grocery items throughout the book. Its definitely a working-smarter-not-harder vibe in these pages.

When it comes to plating these treats, now is the time to go big and go bold. Over the top is a total mood. Its confetti, sparklers, little cocktail umbrellas, RuPauls Drag Race, gel pens, WWE, mood rings, Jock Jams, Lisa Frank, T-shirt cannons, gold lame, muscle cars, K-pop stans, Britneys Instagram, hot dog eating contests, roller coasters, and tacky pool floats. Does that make sense? Dont worry about it! Grab your wildest dish and dress it up, pile it on, glitter it, sauce it, garnish it. (Thats the big.) Or reject the flair and let the food speak for itself. (Thats the bold.) Sometimes a simple plating can be the most stunning presentation, and the surprise is all in the first bite. Or sometimes a truly insane plating can be like, Ayo, bro get a pic of me for the gram real quick. Theres no wrong way, only creative perspectives.

Whats most important is having fun. These recipes are meant to spark your imagination, make you laugh, make you think, and make you question what food can be. Go in with an open mind and see where it takes you. Nothing is that serious, most of all food, so start cooking with a wink and a little flair. Thats the real meaning of over the top!

the turbocharged pantry

On the following pages, youll find all the basics, plus the party. Most of these ingredients can be purchased fairly inexpensively and have long shelf lives, so that over the top doesnt become overbudget.

Fats

Extra-virgin olive oil. There are delicious and inexpensive brands of extra-virgin olive oil in the grocery store, perfect for everyday cooking. For an over-the-top edge, invest in a bottle of extra-delicious extra-virgin to use for dipping and drizzling only.

Vegetable oil. With a light flavor and high smoke point, vegetable oil is perfect to use whenever you are deep-frying, stir-frying, and high-heat cooking.

Peanut oil. With a pleasant peanutty flavor and very high smoke point, peanut oil is perfect for the heaviest heavy-duty frying.

Unsalted butter. Stick with unsalted so you can control the sodium levels in your food. Investing in good butter is one way to take a dish over the top. Another way is to make your own butter. A third way is to buy a cow. jkjkjk.

Acids

Red wine vinegar. Super flavorful, red wine vinegar adds a lot of punch to any dish. Use it to stand up to (or cut through) big, rich flavors.

White wine vinegar. Good for dressing delicate salads and lighter meats.

Apple cider vinegar. An unmistakable sweet-tart flavor that is great for accenting sweet and savory dishes alike.

Condiments

Tamari. Tamari is a Japanese variation of soy sauce. It offers a more savory flavor than the salty punch of Chinese soy sauce, and is often gluten-free (check the label to be sure).

Dijon mustard. Forget all other mustardsthis is the one. Dressings, sauces, and sandwiches will get a ton of flavor, without an overpowering mustard aftertaste.

Yellow mustard and grainy Dijon mustard. Okay, forget what we just said about forgetting other mustards. Yellow mustard is the best for when you need an unmistakable classic ballpark mustard flavor. If its texture youre after, you cant beat the crunch of grainy Dijon. These two are great to have on hand.

Mayonnaise. Mayo is a secret weapon for adding a ton of flavor and holding everything together.

Ketchup. Not just for burgers, ketchup is great for adding savory acidity to sauces and glazes.

Hot sauce. Hot sauce can range from taco-truck-style habanero to the ubiquitous squeeze bottle of sriracha. Pick one that you love for everyday use and grab a couple other styles to meet the needs of specific dishes. (But lets be honest, if youre a Hot Sauce Person, your collection is probably already over the top.)