Written by a chef, SQUASH THE BEEF isn’t your average cookbook. The scope of it is more—much more.

Artfully written and imminently engaging, SQUASH THE BEEF is a collection of recipes and homespun wisdom. You'll find not only recipes, techniques, and how-tos from the kitchen but also valuable life lessons and relational skills.

Inspirational, SQUASH THE BEEF serves up a recipe for life that’s all heart. This book opens with a brief overview of the author’s life story.

The youngest of five boys, he grew up in a Section 8 housing project. Always hungry, he and his brothers spent most of their time “running the streets, stealing groceries, and mandatory church with Mom.

” Church did not deter their “thieving ways. ” He later writes about his divorce, unemployment, his fiances' battle with cancer, and substitute teaching in an alternative school where Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD) students' misbehavior is due to being “hangry.

” That’s “anger brought about by being hungry and not having had a meal since yesterday's school lunch. ” It’s something the author can relate to per his growing up years.

Gently faith-flavored, the manner in which the author weaves food into his personal story and adds a flavorful life lesson is masterful! In chapter one, for example, just as every ingredient in a recipe has a “unique and distinct profile,” every person has a unique personality and quality. This is relevant as readers will learn to accept their distinctive personalities and gifts.

In How The Cookie Crumbles, “Cookies require space when baking. ” This segues into setting boundaries to stay well-rounded, like baked cookies.

And just as cookies and people need space, biscuits require closeness. In Lean on Me, the Author writes, “We had each other’s back like biscuits.

He goes on to explain that laying out biscuits on a sheet so they’re touching side-by-side causes them to rise to their highest. (Who knew?) This is used as a bridge to explain that during life’s trials, friends and families must stand back-to-back and shoulder-to-shoulder to “rise and stand our tallest.

” The writing style is warm and friendly. It’s like your next-door neighbor just opened their kitchen door and invited you in for a chat.

Highly readable, the heaping helpings of insight and inspiration are served up with generous dollops of grace, resilience, and hard-won wisdom. The food idioms toward the end will make you smile.

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