You can make tiramisu from Oreos. Yes, really

I hate to say it but Eat More Better: How to Make Every Bite More Delicious is a book for foodies. AND Eaters. And people who like comedy. And science. And philosophy. And anyone who has a passing interest in comestibles which is essentially all of humankind. But it is especially for complete food obsessives. This book is all the things you could wish for in your reading material: funny, interesting, and even educational. Food does involve science, and so author and host of The Sporkful Dan Pashman has laid out his book like a textbook. Which made me feel like a smart young whippersnapper who is back in school, so double bonus. There are even homework assignments in each chapter.

The point of the book is to guide you in the direction of Perfect Deliciousness, which Pashman describes as “gustatory nirvana, a higher state.” You will learn how to never take a mediocre bite of food again. Every nibble is a chance to reach for the culinary stars and Pashman is your professor. Don’t worry: the homework is fun and often tasty to boot.

Chapter one dives right in to the math and science realm. Surface area to volume ratios are going to make the difference between soggy cheese fries and crisp ones. This is one circumstance where it may depend on your preference: Do you enjoy when some of your skinny fries get totally soggy with cheese? Or do you want each bite to taste both of cheese and hearty potato that is crisp on the outside? If it’s the latter, better go with thick-cut fries.

Chapter two gets into language. The question plaguing all humankind has long been this: What deserves to be called a sandwich? That question keeps you up at night too, right? Right? Guys? Anyway, I will tell you that Pashman does not believe a wrap or burrito merits that name and I have to concur. Engineering and Construction rightfully follows in chapter 3. Now that we’ve defined sandwich, we have to find the best way to put one together.

As the book goes on you will delve into subjects like Business and Economics (make every bite better and cheaper) and Culture (how we deal with holidays). Even Psychology gets a lesson plan. That chapter is where you will learn what to look for on a first date. How a person shares food can say a lot.

Of course, culinary perfection is going to vary from person to person. I LOVE that in terms of some foods, Pashman stresses that the BEST way to eat is going to depend on your own personal preference. Some people enjoy it when every bite of a salad is exactly the same. Some people want bite variety. I’m a variety girl. That is probably why I am somewhat of a food separatist. Or I like getting things layered because I can deconstruct and reconstruct as I wish. Enough about me.

Actually, I lied. More about me. But only because I found a recipe that made me feel better about the shameful years of coffee-dipping I submitted Oreos to. I would separate the Oreos, put the frosting all together in a glob I’d eat last, then one by one, soak the creamless cookies in coffee then pile them up until I had this massive pile of chocolate pudding, essentially. Yes, I know I’m weird. But the following recipe made me feel just a little bit less alone.

Oreo-Milano Tiramisu, adapted from Eat More Better by Dan Pashman

• Oreos
• Milanos (those delightful Pepperidge Farm cookie)
• cold coffee
• whipped cream
• patience

You can decide what size of dish you want to make for this. I used a ramekin that was about 4 inches across. Separate Oreos into halves with cream, and halves without. In the dish, make a layer of the Oreos halves with cream that you’ve dunked in coffee for 6 seconds. Then make a layer of Milanos that have been dunked for 6 seconds. Then another layer of dipped Oreo halves with cream. Then another layer of Milanos. Now, crumble up all the dreamless Oreo halves. Set aside a quarter of them. Into the rest, add some coffee and make a paste, but try and retain some of the cookie texture. Spread this on top. Cover it with plastic and put in the fridge. Now the patience part. Pashman says to let it sit overnight but I found several hours did the trick. Take it out, top with whipped cream, and sprinkle the Oreo halves you saved on top. Delight in the genius of this dish. It is amazingly delicious.

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[Image courtesy Dan Pashman]