cover image Rock and Roll Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from the Chart Toppers, Hitmakers and Legends of Rock and Roll

Rock and Roll Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from the Chart Toppers, Hitmakers and Legends of Rock and Roll

Dick St John. First Glance Books, $14.99 (240pp) ISBN 978-1-881649-07-6

Published to raise money for the National Music Foundation, this celebrity-simmer tends to combine the titles of hit songs with the names of recipes--for example, Neil Sedaka's ``Breakin' Up Is Hard to Do--But Making Mary's Voo Doo Chicken Is Easy.'' (It really does seem easy, right down to the ketchup.) But beyond that, the stars recruited for this gastronomical fan anthology haven't left much of a personal imprint beyond the foods they are said to favor. A brief introductory note reviews each rocker's career straightforwardly (Johnny Tillotson's begins, ``Johnny was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and by the time he was nine years old he knew he wanted to be a singer'') before moving on to a recipe. The collection includes appetizers (Paul Anka's ``Taboulie My Way''); salads (Cher's ``All I Really Want to Do is Make You Salad Nicoise''); meats (the Sex Pistols' ``Pie & Mash,'' Frank Zappa's ``Burnt Weenie Sandwiches''); and desserts (Stevie Wonder's ``Do I Do Oatmeal Cookies''). The book's a conversation piece, certainly--but much else? Photos not seen by PW. (Sept.)