Revolting Recipes

It's so fun to discover a new book on the shelves - a gem I never knew we had!

In planning for our celebration of James and the Giant Peach in third grade, I found two volumes of REVOLTING recipes that will be fun to make for our party.

 Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes, by Roald Dahl and Felicity Dahl 

(illustrated by Quentin Blake)

All I can say is "Eeeew!" There are so many gross and disgusting food ideas in this book, it is an absolute winner for kiddos. 

Each recipe is created based on foods mentioned in Dahl's stories and poems, with explanatory notes or questions to the reader, illustrations in Blake's goofy pen and watercolor style, and photographs of the finished items. 

Revolting dishes to try? "Snozzcumbers" from The BFG: hallowed out cucumbers that look like big green slimy noses with gobs of "snot" (tuna and pickle bits) oozing out of the middle.

But not all of the recipes are gross. Take "Lickable Wallpaper" for example, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. These are essentially fruit roll-up strips, with decorative dried fruits and candies attached. Loved the idea in the story? Make it happen by making it at home!

 Roald Dahl's Even More Revolting Recipes, by Felicity Dahl (illustrated by Quentin Blake)

In the second installment, the format is improved only by the addition of quotations from the story the recipe inspired. This feature ties the recipes even more tightly to the books which is even more fun. 

We remember the scene, for example, in which Willy Wonka explains how to come down after drinking a "Fizzy Lifting Drink" ("You burp, of course!").

The recipes in both books are suitable for upper elementary students in their complexity, and some are dead simple. "Fizzy Lifting Drink" for example, calls for only cream soda and vanilla ice cream, and the directions are fun and easy:

1) Close all the doors so that you don't end up on the moon.

2) Fill a glass three-quarters full with cream soda.

3) Top with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream.

4) Drink.

5) Burp.

Highly recommended for a dose of fun in your recipe collection.