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I wanted to share a new cookbook with you I found while shopping at Ollies Bargain Basement It is a cookbook based on one of my families favorite movies. Fast & Furious: and the cookbook is called Fast & Furious Salud, Mi Familia — A Cookbook That Feels Like Family
When searching for cookbooks sometimes I pick them up because the recipes look good. Then there are other cookbooks I pick up buy because the pictures made me hungry and there were recipes I couldn’t wait to try.
Then there are the cookbooks that you pick up because, somehow, they already feel like they belong in your family. That is exactly what happened when I found Fast & Furious: The Official Cookbook: Salud, Mi Familia by Tres Dean and Joshua Hake.
Of course, finding it at Ollie’s Bargain Basement made the decision even easier because I was able to get it for less than I would have paid ordering it online. But the price wasn’t the real reason I brought it home.
I brought it home because Fast & Furious is family to us and it was one of Suzanne’s favorite movie franchises. That alone makes this cookbook special not only to me but also to Charlie.
Every time another Fast & Furious movie came out, my family is among those people excited to see it. These movies became part of our family memories, and that makes anything connected to them mean a little more to me than it might to someone else.
There is even a black GTO like the one Dom Toretto drove on Suzanne’s headstone. So when I saw this cookbook, I wasn’t just looking at a cookbook with a movie franchise on the cover.
I was looking at something that connected back to Suzanne, to our family, and to memories that I will always carry with me. And then there is the phrase on the cover: Salud, Mi Familia.
If you’ve ever wondered what it means, salud can be used as “cheers,” while mi familia means “my family.” Put together, it is essentially “Cheers, my family.” That couldn’t be more perfect for us. Family has always been such a big part of the Fast & Furious movies, and family is a big part of our lives too.
There is another reason the Fast and Furious franchise has a special place in our home. Paul Walker was one of Charlie’s favorite actors. Charlie and I both loved Paul Walker, and we both remember how heartbreaking it was when he passed away.
His death affected so many people who had followed his career, but for us it became another one of those movie memories that stays connected to a particular time in our lives. One of the songs associated with Paul Walker is also one of Charlie’s and my favorite songs of all time.
I’ve always thought it was incredibly touching how close Vin Diesel has remained to Paul’s family and how he honored Paul by naming his daughter Pauline after him. That kind of friendship and loyalty fits the whole message behind the Fast & Furious franchise.
Family isn’t always just about being related. Sometimes family is the people who stand beside you, remember you, and continue carrying pieces of you forward. That is why my friends aren’t just friends they are family. Is it this way in your home?
Once I got the cookbook home, I discovered that it was just as much fun inside as it was on the outside. When you open the book, the design even makes it look like cars have been racing across the pages, leaving tire marks behind.
How fun is that? It immediately feels like you’re stepping into the world of Fast & Furious instead of simply opening an ordinary cookbook. And the photography is amazing. Be prepared after looking at the photos you may become hungry.
There are beautiful, full-color photographs of the food throughout the book, and if you’re anything like me, once again you may want to make sure you aren’t hungry before sitting down and looking through all the recipes. Because I wasn’t even finished browsing before I was thinking about what I wanted to eat!
The official cookbook includes 68 recipes, inspired by the characters, locations, action, and food found throughout the Fast & Furious movies. There are appetizers, main dishes, desserts, drinks, and plenty of recipes that would be fun to make for a family movie night.
The book takes you through different sections, including Toretto’s Market and Café Staples, along with recipes inspired by food from around the globe. There are also helpful extras such as dietary considerations and conversion charts, which I always appreciate in a cookbook.
And for someone who is just beginning to learn how to cook, I think this book could be especially fun because it combines cooking with something they already enjoy. You’re not simply learning how to make a recipe. You’re making something connected to a movie, a character, or a scene you already know. I could also see this cookbook being used in #Homeschooling which I would have done with Charlie.
I haven’t had time to sit down and work my way through every single recipe yet, but there are already several that caught our attention. David immediately noticed the South Beach Shredded Pork Sandwich, which is one he wants to try.
Charlie saw Extreme X-Tudos and thought that sounded like something he would enjoy making. And then there are the K-Taste Chicken Sandwich and Wings, which caught my attention because David and Charlie have been wanting to make Wings at home.
I can already see a Fast & Furious cooking night happening around here. When we would put on one of the movies, make a few recipes from the cookbook, and let everybody choose something they want to try. That sounds like a pretty good family night to me. What do you think?
Some of the recipes would be perfect for a movie-night spread. The Simple Life Potato Chips caught my attention because homemade chips would be such a fun snack to put out while watching a movie.
Then there are the Grab-and-Go Empanadas. I love empanadas. I used to get them on the border, but the place I loved closed, so finding a recipe that might give me another way to enjoy one of my favorite appetizers made me especially happy.
There are so many recipes in this book that I haven’t even gotten through them all yet. And honestly, that’s probably a good thing. If I sat down and went through every recipe at once, I would probably be starving by the end of the book—and there goes my diet!
One thing I really like about Fast & Furious: The Official Cookbook: Salud, Mi Familia is that it isn’t simply a collection of recipes with a movie title slapped on the cover. It includes information about the authors, acknowledgments, an introduction, cooking and mixology tips, conversion information, dietary considerations, and gorgeous photography.
It feels like a book designed for fans. And because the Fast & Furious movies span so many locations, characters, cultures, and stories, the cookbook gets to have fun with all of that. It lets you travel through the world of the movies through food.
I originally bought this book to add to my cookbook collection, but the more I look through it, the more I realize it could also make a really fun gift. I could see this cookbook fitting into several of our gift guides.
It would make sense in a Summer Gift Guide for someone who loves movie nights and cooking. It could fit beautifully into a Back-to-School Gift Guide for someone learning to cook, especially a teen or young adult who loves movies. It would make a fun Christmas gift for a Fast & Furious fan.
And, honestly, I could even see it making an appearance in a Halloween Gift Guide, because some of the movie-inspired recipes and themes have that slightly wild, over-the-top Fast & Furious feeling.
Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that combine someone’s interests. A cookbook is useful. A movie is entertaining. But a cookbook based on someone’s favorite movie franchise? Now that’s a gift that can become an experience.
The Fast & Furious movies have always been about cars, action, friendship, loyalty, and—most importantly—family. This cookbook brings another piece into that world: food. And I love that.
I can’t wait to dive deeper into the recipes and see what we decide to make first. I already know David has his eye on the shredded pork sandwich, Charlie has found something he wants to try, and the wings may become a family project. Who knows?
Maybe we’ll eventually have our own Fast & Furious movie night right here at home, complete with recipes from the cookbook. And that’s exactly why I love finding books like this.
It isn’t just another cookbook on my shelf. It is connected to Suzanne. It reminds me of Charlie’s love for Paul Walker. It gives David and Charlie something else we can cook together. And it carries that beautiful reminder from the Fast & Furious franchise that family matters. So, salud, mi familia! Let’s hit the road, turn on a movie, make some good food, and enjoy a little family time.
What About You? Are you a Fast & Furious fan? I’d love to know which Fast & Furious movie is your favorite, which star is your favorite, and why. And if you could choose just one recipe from this cookbook to make for a Fast & Furious movie night, what would you choose?
Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful, blessed day filled with good food, great memories, and plenty of time with the people you love.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates