Love at first bite

CHOW BELLA: Love at First Bite by Gina Meyers/

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An unexpected spinoff from the Twilight movie phenomenon is an unofficial cookbook.

Love At First Bite is based on the wildly popular series of films and books, in which the romantic male lead is a vampire called Edward who, ironically, doesn't actually like eating food (it tastes like dirt to him). His favourite dish would be the blood of the human teenage girl Bella, if he weren't so desperately in love with her. Chow Bella, if you will.

Nevertheless, Love At First Bite's recipes include: Bella's Instant Mashed Potatoes, Edward's Cornflake Chicken and Jacob Black's Grilled Cheese Sandwich. There are some obvious references to the plot, including a dish called I Dare You To Eat Pizza, Edward, but mostly this is a cheap, quickly produced publication, with no attempt to adapt it for non-American cooks.

The few black-and-white photos are amateurish (out of focus, badly framed) and unappetising. The recipes require Americanisms such as "1 pound ground round", Graham crackers, peanut-butter chips or Parowax (whatever that is), and good luck finding Monterey Jack cheese at the supermarket.

Adding "a package of refrigerated biscuit dough" to beef stew would be disastrous if the Kiwi cook was more used to sweet biscuits. (The American "biscuit" is more like a savoury scone.)

The cupcake recipes all require bought cake mix. The mushroom ravioli recipe uses bought premade mushroom ravioli. The back of the book has lazily written Twilight trivia, Twilight-themed party ideas and, weirdly for a book aimed at pre-teen Twilight fans, a copious number of boozy cocktail recipes - everything from rum and coke or gin and tonic to Bella Loves Edward Punch.

It should be pointed out that the author of the cookbook, Gina Meyers, is no relation to Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. Available at online booksellers, including www.fishpond.co.nz.

WIN * WIN * WIN

The Press has three copies of Love At First Bite: The Unofficial Twilight Cookbook to give away. To enter, write your name, address and phone number on the back of an envelope and send it to Love At First Bite cookbook draw, PO Box 1005, Christchurch 8140, to arrive no later than 5pm on Wednesday.

- © Fairfax NZ News