Book Review: This Is Not a Cookbook by Flynn McGarry

When most people think about food books, they usually think of cookbooks. However, This Is Not A Cookbook by Flynn McGarry subverts that idea.

On the whole, this entire book is a major subversion. Firstly, this book has an incredible title as it’s not a cookbook but food and cooking play such a huge role within. Secondly, you would imagine that an older chef would write something like this but Flynn McGarry is actually only 24.

While I’m an adult, reviewing this book, this one is definitely geared more toward kids and would be a great one to read aloud with your little one. It’s also one of the books that aren’t just about one thing yet still have an overarching theme.

If you’re looking to pick up This Is Not A Cookbook or are a fan of Flynn McGarry, then we’ve got the scoop for you.

This Is Not A Cookbook by Flynn McGarry is a unique foodie memoir.

If you’re not familiar with Flynn McGarry, then I’d highly suggest picking this one up as it’s essentially his childhood and beyond. I mean since he’s only 24, there’s only so much ground to cover. We truly get to know his story from his own words, but that’s not the best part of this book.

This Is Not A Cookbook is more about Flynn’s passion and knowing his goals at a very young age. I was frankly surprised by what he was able to accomplish. He knew he wanted to be a chef and he didn’t let anything get in his way. I especially loved seeing the group dinners he organized and how they grew at such a vast rate.

To me, it was refreshing to see someone as young as McGarry be so confident and work to make his goals happen. While this book wasn’t a cookbook, it was more about Flynn’s passion and everything he did to make his passion into his career. He also reflected on his relationship with food and how it’s changed as he’s grown older.

While I didn’t adore this one, I can say that the drawings caught my eye, and the conversational writing style McGarry had made for a quick and fun read. As hard as McGarry worked, I do think he had some advantages and networking that maybe other young chefs or professionals wouldn’t have had.

As I said though, I did appreciate this book and I do think it’d be great to share with a young reader or if you have a younger child in your life who likes to cook. Plus there are even a few recipes in the back for those who are looking to cook something after reading or want to try something McGarry mentioned in the book.

What do you think, Guilty Eaters? Are you going to be picking up Flynn McGarry’s book for the younger ones in your life? Share with us!