HOT DAMN AND HELL YEAH
Recipes for Hungry Banditos and the Dirty South Cookbook
By Ryan Splint
Microcom Publishing
Reviewer: Claudette Vaughan

We seek him here, we seek him there. That elusive Ryan Splint, a vegan-punk Australian is nowhere to be found but his quirky, oh so quirky vegan cookbook for banditos has been republished again – bigger and better than before, so we’ll review that.

In this latest issue two vegan cookbooks combine their shared love for vegan cooking, southern food, Posada-inspired art and punk rock fanzines in the new split cookbook HOT DAMN AND HELL YEAH: RECIPES FOR HUNGRY BANDITOS / THE DIRTY SOUTH. The book is comprised of two former self published zines: Vanessa’s “The Dirty South”, issues 1-3 and Ryan Splint’s Australian masterpiece “Hot Damn and Hell Yeah”.

Hot Damn and Hell Yeah is a finely illustrated and designed collection of recipes that aren’t afraid of spices but are suited for those into east-to-find ingredients. It provides a unique take on southern cooking, vegan style, with some tasty delectables, and is especially for those not afraid of garlic or baking. And while this book sizzles with great cooking ideas and recipes, true to southern cooking for, nutrition isn’t always the first priority for either of these editors. However, the recipes are incredible in both cases!

Recipes include: 12 sauces (like Bourbon Whiskey BBQ sauce), 8 Breads (like country style biscuits), 5 side dishes (such as roasted garlic and herb couscous), 7 soups and chilies ( like chili non con carne), 19 main dishes (such as sun dried tomato and artichoke heart linguine), and 21 desserts ( for example Great Grandma Carlson’s Apple Crisp).

The book is fully illustrated with gorgeous Posada-stylised drawings by Ryan Splint.