The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life

In the intro to this energetic, loosely themed “collection of fun dishes,” The Chef Show presenter Choi (L.A. Son) explains how he overcame compulsive behavior that led him to overindulge in food, drugs, and gambling and developed a healthier relationship with food. Even when doling out nitty-gritty practical advice (like when to use a blender versus a food processor), he writes in a cheeky, profanity-laced voice. A chapter on vegetables aims to make eating them less of “a chore,” with funky options like carrot pancakes made with tempura batter and Nicoise salad bibimbap that replaces boiled potatoes with chips alongside a “big fucking salad” that contains everything but the kitchen sink. Fusion fare is Choi’s specialty: shakshuka meets baked ziti, naan mates with scallion pancakes, and tuna melts (on lettuce leaves rather than bread) incorporate kimchi. Recipe introductions reference the chef’s early days in a food truck serving Mexican fare with a Korean twist and cite the influence of his family: the recipe for a single-serving bowl of rice with eggs, for example, comes from his father. Choi’s endearing vulnerability punctuated with bouts of foul-mouthed bravado results in an authentic-feeling collection that both educates and entertains. (Apr.)