Title: The Bloke’s Guide to Brilliant Cooking and How to Impress Women
Author: Jim O’Connor
Publisher: XlibrisAU
ISBN: 978-1-4797-3462-7
Pages: 118
Genre: Cooking, humor
Reviewed by: William Johnson

Read Book Review

“G’d onya mate,” would be the best compliment an Aussie bloke can give a brethren in the conquest of winning over women in the land down under (yes, that’s a double entendre.) Aside from unique fundamentals of cooking, author Jim O’Connor interleaves philosophy of a real-man’s conquest for achieving memorable relationships, accomplished by plating an extraordinary culinary delight to the opposite sex while having the right confidence to proceed straight to the bedroom after dinner. Comedy meets culinary delights in The Bloke’s Guide to Brilliant Cooking and How to Impress Women, as intermixing recipes for what might be the most beautifully photographed plates of gourmet food in any cookbook are embellished with the secrets of seducing women. As it is well known “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” yet O’Connor redefines the coinage to “the way to a woman’s love is through her eyes and taste, appreciating a bloke that can cook.”

Australian vernacular is always light hearted and inherently comedic, as Jim O’Connor does not lack in his galley text skills of maintaining interest on all which he writes about. His words are a pleasure to read. But most importantly, he provides the game-plan and support for any bloke to break free of underwhelming prejudices and instead provide overwhelming results. The photographs of plated delights with shrimp, veggies, black pasta, steaks, encrusted ahi, and eye-popping appetizers will make all readers hungry. The interlaced text throughout the cooking theme will keep all men interested.

For example, O’Connor talks about cooking ‘backwards.’ A bloke should start by sitting in his favorite chair and popping open a beer, and think about what he wants to have his dinner look like. Then by working backwards, think of the necessary steps it would take in preparation, and finally think about what he would need to buy to have all he will need. Mind you, all of this is done while having a beer or two. After the beers are finished — then get started. Sounds to me that is every bloke’s kind of good advice!

The cooking aspects within the book stem mostly from the photographs indicating how it should look, but logical charts and checklists are provided to assist common blokes along the way. “Impressive blokes cook without a net” is a great quote, along with “Following someone else’s recipe is like culinary plagiarism.” I never really thought of it in those terms, but he’s right.

This book offers perfection in three areas: cooking, of course; testosterone enhancement philosophy; and overall confidence to achieve the ultimate result. “Trust the code” as “The code is always right.” This begins the philosophy of the origin of the secret, for blokes’ eyes only – yes, there is a disclaimer at the end of the book not to allow women to see this book.

Although as Sun Tzu in The Art of War believes to “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer,” not only should every bloke buy this book, but so should every women — so they are clued-into the secret of the code which otherwise will be casted unknowingly upon them.