This collection of poems is structured as a playful cookbook full of poems masquerading as recipes. Owen's wit and sharp vocabulary of spices transform hell into a fiery kitchen. The "recipes" are arranged into quirky quatrains and call for ingredients such as devils, pitchforks, local Louisiana mosquitoes, swamps, mockingbirds, and shooting stars. Owen provides plenty of heat in these fascinating poems to remind us of the pain and evil in our contemporary lives, such as the fear of global warming and terrorism. The dark, gothic sense of humor for which Owen has become known shines through once again.