Kim Wilcox, contributor to The Ultimate Spam Cookbook and owner of Tennessee’s It’s All So Yummy Café, tells us what makes Spam so special.
Upon receiving a review copy of The Ultimate SPAM Cookbook (Fox Chapel Publishing), I have to say that I was intrigued. I mean, what WAS I going to do with all those tins of Spam I have been hoarding over the years? (I kid you not).
As soon as I had cracked the spine, I realised that my SPAM knowledge was decidedly below-par…
I simply had know idea that so many kinds of SPAM were produced: Spam Classic, Spam Hot & Spicy, Jalapeño Spam, Spam with Black Pepper, Spam Low Sodium, Spam Lite, Spam Oven Roasted Turkey, Spam Hickory Smoked, Spam Spread (“if you’re a spreader, not a slicer … just like Spam Classic, but in a spreadable form”), Spam Bacon, Spam Cheese, Spam Garlic, Spam Teriyaki, Spam Chorizo, Spam Boricua (seasoned Puerto Rican-style), Spam Macadamia Nuts, Spam Turkey, Spam Tocino, Spam Portuguese Sausage, and finally, the inevitable Spam Pumpkin Spice. The mind boggles.
I think that I have only ever seen the original.
We sat down with one of the books contributors, Grilled Cheese Aficionado, Kim Wilcox of Knoxville, Tennessee’s It’s All So Yummy Café to talk about her history of cooking with SPAM, her love of grilled cheese, and the impact of the ongoing pandemic upon her fresh and local business.
Anyway, the book has some pretty damn interesting and out-there recipes (Curried SPAM Pot Stickers with Coconut Pineapple Sauce or Wonton SPAM Eggroll!) , some of which I’m going to try over the coming months. First up for me is Kim’s Deviled SPAM Grilled Cheese. Watch this space!
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Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And he’ll report back on those SPAM recipes.
