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Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves

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Stephen and Evie Colbert invite you to pull up a chair as they share their favorite recipes from family and friends and offer a glimpse of food and fun in their South Carolina home.

“Hopefully reading this book and cooking these recipes will feel like hanging out with us at home. We basically live in the kitchen anyway.” —Evie and Stephen Colbert

As Evie and Stephen explain it, Does This Taste Funny? had its beginnings in the Covid lockdown. “We were all stuck together and couldn’t go out, so we cooked. We had all three kids back under one roof for the first time in a long time, and we had dinner each night as a family. Cooking together became a major source of entertainment.”

Now, the Colberts invite us into their kitchen and around their dining room table. Sharing Stephen and Evie’s favorite recipes, as well as those of their family and friends, this book offers everything from Party Food (called “party food” because “appetizers” implies something to follow when we all know that, often, this is the only course), to Seafood, to Poultry and Meat (“Evie and I have different relationships to meat. I like it. Evie can take it or leave it, and mostly she leaves it.”), to Desserts (“This is one of the largest sections of the book. Evie always reminds me that desserts are a great way to postpone clearing up.”), to Drinks (“I love cocktail hour. It feels like a reward for having gone so long without a cocktail”), all tied together with playful dialogue between Stephen and Evie and gorgeous shots of their food, family, and home.

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2024

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About the author

Stephen Colbert

32 books1,315 followers
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American comedian, satirist, actor, and writer known for his ironic style, particularly in his portrayal of uninformed opinion leaders and deadpan comedic delivery.
Colbert originally studied to be an actor, but became interested in improvisational theater when he met famed Second City director Del Close while attending Northwestern University. He first performed professionally as an understudy for Steve Carell at Second City Chicago; among his troupe mates were comedians Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris, with whom he developed the critically-acclaimed sketch comedy series Exit 57.
Colbert also wrote and performed on the short-lived Dana Carvey Show before collaborating with Sedaris and Dinello again on the cult television series Strangers with Candy. He gained considerable attention for his role on the latter as closeted, gay history teacher Chuck Noblet. It was his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's news-parody series The Daily Show, however, that first introduced him to a wide audience.
In 2005, he left The Daily Show to host a spin-off series, The Colbert Report. Following The Daily Show's news-parody concept, The Colbert Report styles itself as a parody of personality-driven political opinion shows such as Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor. Since its debut, the series has been successful, establishing itself as one of Comedy Central's highest-rated series, earning Colbert three Emmy nominations and an invitation to perform as featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in 2006. Colbert was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in 2006. His book, I Am America And So Can You was No. 1 on The New York Times Bestseller List.

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5 stars
108 (43%)
4 stars
108 (43%)
3 stars
29 (11%)
2 stars
6 (2%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 29, 2024
It's always a crap shoot with celebrity cookbooks, some can be pretty terrible when the book is just trying to capitalise on the celebritiness of said celebrity but happy to report that is not the case with this cookbook! Stephen and his equally clever wife Evie have delivered a well-crafted, easy to follow one filled with delicious, predominantly "Lowland food" recipes.

Photos accompany most but not all recipes. The big bonus with this book is the repartee between Stephen and Evie, it feels genuine and authentic. The realness behind the recipes and stories provided many laugh out loud moments as well as a few bittersweet ones that left me a bit teary (read the dedication to Evie's mom who helped with the book while battling cancer and didn't get to see the book published).

This would make a great gift for fans of Mr. Colbert and anyone who enjoys lowland cooking.
Profile Image for Mrs..
15 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2024
I read good cookbooks from cover to cover like novels. This cookbook is so good and has so many fun stories that I won’t be the only one. I have so many new recipes to try or update. Already went shopping for three recipes to make tomorrow. Thank you Evie and Stephen for sharing your love for sharing food with all of us.
Happy cooking everyone!
Profile Image for Doug.
2,336 reviews807 followers
October 15, 2024
Purists may scoff at including a cookbook here, but I actually did spend several hours reading this - each recipe (or receipt, as Evie calls them - apparently a common Southern affectation!) is prefaced by the two authors telling charming stories about the dish. Although Evie claims to be a 'selective vegan', very few of the recipes are ones I, as a stricter one, would actually make - hence, I just got this from the library to peruse.

Since I enjoy the Colberts on his late night show I had a fine time reading about them, and the pictures of both the food and the Colberts at home are delightful. The recipes themselves are fairly basic and simple - very few contain any ingredients one wouldn't normally have around the house, which is a plus.
122 reviews3 followers
September 20, 2024
I love this book, great comments & conversations between Stephen & Evie. I enjoyed the photos too.
There are so many delicious dishes to make & bake.
I probably won’t make any of them, but I hope some of my friends will.
Profile Image for Linda.
2,183 reviews2 followers
October 8, 2024
I have gotten cookbooks through Libby which since I read through my Kindle app on my iPad automatically shows up on my GoodReads list because of the relationship between GoodReads and Amazon. I've always removed the cookbooks from showing up here because I didn't feel that I actually read the book - just looked at the pictures and saw which recipes were included.
Since I'm a Stephen Colbert loyalist, I was aware that he and his wife had written a cookbook. Nice, but I had no plans to search it out. But, I was in my library every day for more than 2 months preparing for our library book sale. Last week, for two days, this cookbook was staring at me on the 'new' shelf.
No one checked this out?!
After two days of its forlorn gazes, I rescued it from the shelf and checked it out.
Segue to a trip from central Ohio to western Michigan and I decided to give my usual cookbook treatment. But wait. There were "conversations" in the book between Colbert and his wife. I read them, many out loud so my husband could hear them. I read the entire book. Including the 'Thank you' section where (surprise! Suprise!) he thanked my friend Will Schwalbe.
I also learned a lot about Charleston and its heavy reliance on seafood.
For all this, I recommend this delight as a book to read.
And, I intend to try a couple of the recipes when I get home, back to my kitchen.
Profile Image for Debora.
7 reviews
October 2, 2024
This Tastes Lovely

The conversation is a delight and the recipes or "receipts" are inviting and easy to follow for most basic cooks. A very nice range of courses.

I read it like a love story in two days because the writing style and lighthearted banter brought me right into the kitchen with Stephen and Evie.
Profile Image for Kathy.
304 reviews
September 30, 2024
One of the funniest books I've ever read is a...COOK BOOK??? This book is a total delight. The receipts (recipes) are reader-friendly. The side notes from Stephen and Evie Colbert made me laugh out loud.

I would love to meet them and talk about some of the receipts. They just seem like such good people. oh, and yes! I'm going to be making some of those delicious entries ASAP.
Profile Image for Tamara.
329 reviews
October 2, 2024
delightful stories and looks like delicious recipes that i may or may not ever get around to making...
too much meat for my vegan heart but the stories and photographs of their family were overwhelmingly joyful and made me forget about what uncooked shrimp looks like.
Profile Image for Nina.
285 reviews12 followers
Read
October 28, 2024
It's a gorgeous book, the stories are fun, but I have yet to make any of the recipes from this so it's really hard for me to give a rating. Does anyone know of a website that actually rates cookbooks based on how the recipes turn out?
Profile Image for Julia L..
36 reviews
October 1, 2024
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

Stephen and Evie Colbert’s “Does This Taste Funny?” was charming and quirky and everything I love about them. They let their personalities shine through and gave an intimate glance into their Southern roots. Though I haven’t tried cooking any of the recipes yet, I have several bookmarked and can’t wait to try them!
462 reviews3 followers
October 22, 2024
The positives—

1. It’s a beautifully designed book with llovely photos of both the food and the authors.
2. It’s funny.
3. It’s enjoyable to read and the little stories behind the recipes are adorable.
4. The dishes sound incredible and easy to make. I’d call them down to earth and meant for regular people. You’ll find nothing frou-frou about them!
5. It’s primarily southern (I love southern cooking) but there were notable exceptions.
6. There’s a lot of regional dishes (South Carolina, the hill country).
7. It’s mostly homemade cooking from scratch (which I think is the best way to do it) with fresh ingredients. However, there are some alternatives for those who are lazy or pressed for time.
8. It sounds like genuine family fare, not just something ghosts written for a celebrity cookbook.
9. Stephen and Evie are the cutest couple. They really seem to appreciate good food.
10. It’s good enough to read from cover to cover (which I did). There aren’t many cookbooks that can make that claim.

All my negatives are personal.

1. A lot of the ingredients are hard to get. (Maybe not if you live in some parts of the country, but where I live they are difficult to find.)
2. I own too many cookbooks.
3. My husband recently had a stroke and has diabetes. I am constantly on a diet. That doesn’t leave a lot of options.

Nevertheless, I was so impress with all the positives, I’m still thinking of buying it
Profile Image for Mary Jackson.
41 reviews
October 23, 2024
My husband and I watched Stephen and Evie prepare the Shrimp and Hominy recipe on the Late Show. A few days later, we prepared it for dinner. It did not disappoint! So, I checked this book out from the library. Now, I think I am going to have to buy it. Most of the recipes or receipts, as Evie calls them, were not terribly complicated or fussy. With a few exceptions, most ingredients are something I have already in my kitchen. Stephen and Evie include some alternatives for ingredients, methods or where you can purchase less common ingredients. They are also specific with their instructions, which I appreciate. Besides the recipes/receipts, their commentary with each recipe is very entertaining and kept me smiling cover to cover.
Profile Image for Michael.
221 reviews5 followers
October 25, 2024
Such a delightful cookbook! Can we officially christen Evie and Stephen “America’s Couple”?! Their banter throughout the book adds a level of joy to a collection of wonderful recipes. It’s also great how they include other family members.

All in all, this is a book that reminds you to always keep your receipts!
36 reviews
November 5, 2024
Like Stephen and his wife, my parents are from Low Country South Carolina. Many of these recipes reminded me of the type of food my parents cook and enjoy.
995 reviews
October 13, 2024
I do dread when I want to find a recipe and the author decides to offer a bland personal story to add page length.

This books suffers no such malady. I found myself enjoying the stories, with its richness of place and people, for themselves. The reader learns how a television talk show host finds too much time on his hands during the Lockdown so this spectacular volume is born out of necessity of having a full house and needing to feed them with affection. How this respite from the fray allowed the opportunity to scour through the tattered cookbooks and scribbled notes of decades past with those that crafted these meals.
Reading felt like two wonderful books joining to create an atmosphere of history and happiness. These are recipes of family, and friends. The layout with breakfast the penultimate chapter felt like someone understands this is for entertaining those we love and want to share our food to make them know they are loved.
These are both traditional Southern recipes, such as boiled peanuts and hominy with shrimp to the new twist of lima bean hummus. The addition of a few simple cocktail recipes makes this the perfect way to bring in company with open and welcoming arms.
72 reviews
October 22, 2024
I picked this up at the library. I made a few recipes. Enjoyed them all, so I bought the book. I'm so happy I did. The recipes have been easy to make and quite tasty. I appreciate all the preparation notes and enjoy all the stories. I'd like to hang out with Evie and Steve!
Profile Image for Lorraine Sulick-Morecraft.
Author 4 books11 followers
October 14, 2024
I enjoyed the banter style of conversation introducing the RECIPES but my cook's brain could not process the term, "receipts" as the southern version (sorry Evie.) And Stephen, I will raise my espresso martini glass to your good humor. And hey, I never thought of halving my day old muffins and tossing them on the griddle! Fun stuff 🥰 thx Colberts!
October 17, 2024
Loved reading this cookbook and all the stories inside. Can’t wait to cook from it- the recipes look fantastic and make me miss the southern coast.
994 reviews10 followers
October 5, 2024
A fun cookbook of family favorites collected by the Colbert family. I enjoyed the comments before each section and each recipe. While I did not grow up in the southern US, it was fun to discover some of the things that are staples in that region. A nice collection of recipes and humor!
Profile Image for Melki.
6,780 reviews2,529 followers
September 16, 2024
STEPHEN : "Oh, no. Are you gonna tell the spoon story?'

Colbert, comedian, talk show host, and bespectacled wise guy, also, it seems, likes to dabble in the culinary arts, frequently in the company of his lovely wife, Evie. (Let me just say here that if my husband and I attempted to share the kitchen, it would be a recipe for certain disaster, and possibly grounds for divorce. Or a murder investigation. Maybe both.) The witty repartee between these long-married spouses who can, of course, finish each others' sentences, is the real reason to settle in a comfy chair with a copy of this book. (Go ahead - have a cup of tea, or maybe one of the yummy-sounding cocktails featured in the book.)

It's a delightful read, with plenty of photos, and tasty looking recipes. There are probably better Low Country cookbooks on the market, but they won't have pix of Stephen preparing a fancy-schmancy Beef Wellington, or a lesson in sour dough bread making from Colbert's youngest son. The comedian's many fans should enjoy perusing this one, and I'm sure anyone will be able to find a recipe to their liking. One they'd appreciate having their own spouse prepare, perhaps, while the better other half of that couple stays far, far from the kitchen where the really big knives are kept.
Profile Image for Leane.
799 reviews24 followers
October 31, 2024
Clear and complete directions, entertaining and informative prefaces by both Colberts for each recipe, striking photographs of the dishes and an intimate glimpse of the Colberts make this a delightful and useful cookbook. A love letter to the Southern cuisine they both grew up on and their families and friends includes family favorites for holidays and every day, the book is organized by foods: Party Foods (not apps but apps!) Soups, Poultry, Meat, Seafood, Vegetables, Sides, and One Other Thing, Desserts, Breakfast, and Drinks. I am not a very adventuress eater or cook; however, many “receipts” in this book intrigued me—like the Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Tomato Shed Pie, and Rhubarb Crisp. They list the recipes in each chapter in the front of each chapter, include notes and occasional snarky comments along the way, the usual ingredient lists with occasional variation, and provide a brief but entertaining Introduction to the book, a sweet and heartfelt dedication to McGee Colbert’s mother, a Thank You page, and an Index. The obvious love and respect the Colberts feel for one another add to the inviting and pleasant Tone of the book. This would be a great present for anyone who wants accessible, reasonably easy recipes, for entertaining or just eating well. Readalikes may be cookbooks by Alton Brown, Miranda Lambert, or Stanley Tucci.
Profile Image for Pink.
50 reviews
September 21, 2024
Well written, funny and delicious!

There aren't a TON of recipes (one can't expect a non-chef celebrity to write a compendium of their family's entire repetoire) however everything is laid out well, recipes are easy to follow and all begin with a chat from Stephen and Evie, and occasionally other contributors (Evie's mom, friends, etc).

I'm about halfway through (yes, I'm one of "those:" I read cookbooks 😁) and loving every minute. Haven't tried any 'receipts' yet, but I'm confidant they'll come out perfectly.

One caveat for those at high altitude (former Denverite now living in South Carolina. Went from 5,280 ft above sea level to actual sea level): there are a few baked items, so you'll have to adjust flour, fat, eggs, leavening, temperature and time so they'll come out right.

Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Laura.
2,334 reviews
September 28, 2024
I read this mainly for a chance to get to know the Colbert family better, and the book did not disappoint! This is a warm glimpse inside the lives of a very funny man and his family. I love lowcountry food, and those recipes are woven throughout. Evie is very practical and a great foil to Steve. The backstories and photos are warm and these are people I would love to spend time with.

The recipes are sound, but some are pretty involved. For example, I don't think I'll be making the beef wellington anytime soon. The shrimp paste and teriyaki pork tenderloin are amazing. The strongest chapter for me by far was the snacks, and like Steve and Evie that is often where our dinner starts and stops.

This is a really fun book and I encourage you all to read it and cook at least one recipe from it.
September 30, 2024
I don’t cook, so why am I reviewing a cookbook? Because Celadon sent me such a fun promo box for it! I think I squealed a little when I saw it. Nothing makes you feel more VIP than getting a promotional box! Have I tried any of the recipes? No, of course not - again, not a chef by any means. But the photos of the food are gorgeous. Many of them are accompanied by a story or a photo of Stephen or Evie. I know he’s a comedian (right?) but I don’t know much more than that. If you’re a big fan, or know someone who’s a big fan, this would be a great holiday gift! The promo box also came with a mayonnaise bookmark - yes, you read that right, just keep flipping through the photos to see it - and some fennel-bourbon candied hot peppers. My husband is going to be so excited about those! Thank you so much to Celadon for this fun package!
Profile Image for Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader).
260 reviews39 followers
October 21, 2024
I love reading cookbooks. This one was born out of pandemic cooking at the Colbert household in Charleston, South Carolina. We get their recollection of their family’s experiences during the pandemic through the food they prepared. We also get the loving banter of a husband and wife. The couple introduces each recipe with a light hearted exchange regarding the recipe origin and special memories associated with the recipe.

I always learn something when reading cookbooks. One of the things I learned in this one is smoked salt. This is an ingredient I am now on the hunt to find.

The couple also publishes/republishes the recipes of family, friends and famous chefs they know. The recipes are not all ones they created themselves.

Anyone who enjoys reading cookbooks will enjoy this one.
Profile Image for Lisa.
307 reviews
September 18, 2024
3.5 rounded up

Recipes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

But for the over the top schmaltziness and about 50 too many photos that had nothing to do with food, had to knock at least one star off the review. I have piles of celebrity cookbooks and haven't ever seen one with THIS many corny photos of said celebrities.

Also? First flip through the book and I spotted at least a dozen typos in the intros to each recipe, which makes me wonder if there are typos in the actual recipes as well which would be problematic.

But the recipes look fantastic
Profile Image for Susan Ciliberti.
242 reviews19 followers
November 9, 2024
As one would expect, a cookbook written by Stephen Colbert would be quirky and funny. There is a story for each recipe plenty of beautiful photos both of the dishes and also of Stephen and Evie. With respect to the recipes themselves, there were several that caught my eye - Crispy Hot-Honey Brussels Sprouts, Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Almond-Basil Cookies and Espresso Coffee Cake. I did make the spaghetti squash recipe but was disappointed as I felt it needed some spice and to cook longer. I will be trying other recipes and do recommend this cookbook as a fun read.
710 reviews
November 13, 2024
If you are one of us who read a cookbook from cover to cover, you are in for a treat! Not only is this both interesting and funny, its noteworthy! The library provided my copy so it was easy to take pics with my phone of those recipes ( receipts as they are called here) that look extra good. Some of the side notes from Stephen and Evie Colbert made me laugh out loud. Now, off to the kitchen!


Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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