The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse
Lauren Wilson
Smart Pop Books
October 28, 2014
Reviewed by Matthew Scott Baker
I’m not going to outright say that I believe in zombies or that there is actually the potential for a zombie apocalypse…however, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to prepare for the possibility. I mean, I LOVE zombie movies, and in many of them, the guy who states ‘zombies aren’t real’ is usually the first guy to get eaten. I guess, therefore, I am what you might call a ‘weekend doomsday prepper.’ I’m not building a bunker or anything like that, but I am getting my family prepared and in a position to live off the land if need-be.
As you can probably guess, my mouth started watering when I heard about author Lauren Wilson’s recent release, The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse. After all, food is one of the basics of standard survival, right? But usually food is scarce in these scenarios, so why not make the best of what you have? That is the inspiration behind this book, and it is an amazing collection that is definitely a must-have for every zombie aficionado.
If you are not familiar with The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse, here is the synopsis courtesy of Smart Pop Books:
Just because the undead’s taste buds are atrophying doesn’t mean yours have to!
You duck into the safest-looking abandoned house you can find and hold your breath as you listen for the approaching zombie horde you’ve been running from all day. You hear a gurgling sound. Is it the undead? No—it’s your stomach.
When the zombie apocalypse tears down life and society as we know it, it will mean no more take out, no more brightly lit, immaculately organized aisles of food just waiting to be plucked effortlessly off the shelves. No more trips down to the local farmers’ market. No more microwaved meals in front of the TV or intimate dinner parties. No, when the undead rise, eating will be hard, and doing it successfully will become an art.
The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse is a cookbook and culinary field guide for the busy zpoc survivor. With more than 80 recipes (from Overnight of the Living Dead French Toast and It’s Not Easy Growing Greens Salad to Down & Out Sauerkraut, Honey & Blackberry Mead, and Twinkie Trifle), scads of gastronomic survival tips, and dozens of diagrams and illustrations that help you scavenge, forage, and improvise your way to an artful post-apocalypse meal. The Art of Eating is the ideal handbook for efficient food sourcing and inventive meal preparation in the event of an undead uprising.
Whether you decide to hole up in your own home or bug out into the wilderness, whether you prefer to scavenge the dregs of society or try your hand at apocalyptic agriculture, and regardless of your level of skill or preparation, The Art of Eating will help you navigate the wasteland and make the most of what you eat.
This book is an absolute joy to read, and I’m proud to have it on my bookshelf. I have mentioned it to several friends of mine who share my same love of the living dead, and they have all purchased copies. I am now going to say the same to you: do yourself a favor and pick this up now.
The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse is written very well, but it also contains hundreds of helpful illustrations, courtesy of talented illustrator Kristin Bauthus. Each chapter is carefully crafted to give information in an entertaining and insightful manner. In addition to recipes, the book also gives tons of enlightening information on a variety of topics, including how to eat bugs and which ones to eat, tips for hunting, how to make squirrel jerky, cultivating your own window gardens, and much, much more. The book even tells how to make alcohol for your adult beverages using minimal ingredients!
Probably my favorite aspect of The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse is the simplistic way the information is presented. The book never talks over a layperson’s head, and yet it is chocked full of information the average citizen-on-the-street would probably not know. Heck, I’m a Southerner who grew up in the woods, but I didn’t know even half of the wild plant data contained within. The knowledge provided within this tome is truly amazing.
The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse is an excellent how-to guide, and it’s a must-have for zombie fans and/or doomsday preppers of all varieties. I highly recommend it, and I suggest you snag a copy now before the outbreak happens and the dead start to rise! You’ll be sorry if you don’t have this handy guide available when it does.
