Off the Eaten Path by Bob Blumer (2000, Paperback)

“Off the Eaten Path” is another cookbook by Bob Blumer, the “surreal gourmet”.


Bob Blumer’s fun and wacky style really comes through in this book, with lots of illustrations and sculptural artwork. There are also lots of photos of how the recipes will look when completed.


This book has 6 sections:

Winner Dinners (5 winning menus for special occasions)

Cinematic Suppers (cocktails, appetizers and main courses to be enjoyed while watching a video at home)

Not-Luck Dinner Parties (how to throw a successful pot-luck dinner)

Surreal Meals (appetizers and meals that look like one thing, but are made of something entirely different)

Extreme Cuisine (Weird and wonderfully wacky new ways to cook – and surprise your friends)

Enlightening Morsels (Money saving advice about wine, utensils, shopping and more)


If you enjoy his television cooking show (“The Surreal Gourmet”) then you will probably really like this book and will enjoy the “Surreal Meals” portion of this book the best. If you are looking for more fun and interesting recipes to add to your repertoire, then you will also really like this book.


The artwork is great, the writing style easy to read and amusing, and the dishes inspired. My favorite of Bob Blumer’s cookbooks to date however, is still “Surreal Gourmet Bites”