(Part 3) Best cookbooks, food & wine books according to redditors
We found 23,948 Reddit comments discussing the best cookbooks, food & wine books. We ranked the 6,168 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
![Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61IEB4L9NoL.jpg)
![The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples [A Cookbook]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZPWLGBvFL.jpg)
OP's book/media suggestions, formatted with links:
Hey! I just wanted to say, if you do decide to eat veg, it's completely okay if it doesn't happen all at once. I know I had this idea of "going vegetarian" that meant I would just pick a day, and suddenly stop eating meat.
But if you've eaten meat products your entire life, that's really hard, and you'll probably be healthier and happier if you gradually find plant-based foods you like and incorporate them into your diet over time. I did the "all at once" approach, and spent way too much time eating junk/heavily processed food and pizza because that was the only meatless stuff I was familiar with.
Changing habits and lifestyle takes a while, but small, consistent changes will get you there. You don't have to be perfect. Here's my favorite cookbook! :)
If you move the decimal over. This is about 1,000 in books...
(If I had to pick a few for 100 bucks: encyclopedia of country living, survival medicine, wilderness medicine, ball preservation, art of fermentation, a few mushroom and foraging books.)
Medical:
Where there is no doctor
Where there is no dentist
Emergency War Surgery
The survival medicine handbook
Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine
Special Operations Medical Handbook
Food Production
Mini Farming
encyclopedia of country living
square foot gardening
Seed Saving
Storey’s Raising Rabbits
Meat Rabbits
Aquaponics Gardening: Step By Step
Storey’s Chicken Book
Storey Dairy Goat
Storey Meat Goat
Storey Ducks
Storey’s Bees
Beekeepers Bible
bio-integrated farm
soil and water engineering
Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation
Food Preservation and Cooking
Steve Rinella’s Large Game Processing
Steve Rinella’s Small Game
Ball Home Preservation
Charcuterie
Root Cellaring
Art of Natural Cheesemaking
Mastering Artesian Cheese Making
American Farmstead Cheesemaking
Joe Beef: Surviving Apocalypse
Wild Fermentation
Art of Fermentation
Nose to Tail
Artisan Sourdough
Designing Great Beers
The Joy of Home Distilling
Foraging
Southeast Foraging
Boletes
Mushrooms of Carolinas
Mushrooms of Southeastern United States
Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast
Tech
farm and workshop Welding
ultimate guide: plumbing
ultimate guide: wiring
ultimate guide: home repair
off grid solar
Woodworking
Timberframe Construction
Basic Lathework
How to Run A Lathe
Backyard Foundry
Sand Casting
Practical Casting
The Complete Metalsmith
Gears and Cutting Gears
Hardening Tempering and Heat Treatment
Machinery’s Handbook
How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic
Electronics For Inventors
Basic Science
Chemistry
Organic Chem
Understanding Basic Chemistry Through Problem Solving
Ham Radio
AARL Antenna Book
General Class Manual
Tech Class Manual
MISC
Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft
Contact!
Nuclear War Survival Skills
The Knowledge: How to rebuild civilization in the aftermath of a cataclysm
Jeffrey Morgenthaler's book is a great starting point.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bar-Book-Jeffrey-Morgenthaler/dp/145211384X
Everyone should seriously just go buy the America's test kitchen slow cooker book.
http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699
Here's my list of gift ideas! Mostly stuff I own and love:
EDIT: I guess I'm overflowing with gift ideas today, here are some more:
$90 is a hard sell when he's got so much [free content on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU
) and an authoritative $20 book.
Ruhlman's Twenty!
http://www.amazon.ca/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438
Manifold Destiny. It's an entire cookbook dedicated to cooking on your hot engine block on long drives.
Manifold Destiny
So, grilling food imparts heat from a constant fuel source to a food product via 3 important methods: convection, conduction, and radiation. Grilling is unique in that it uses 3 methods, whereas other cooking methods typically use 1 or 2.
(Sources: Web 1,2,3, also Book)
The above picture is spinning the meat fast enough that you can see flames rising from the charcoals. That's... not a good thing. The meat isn't sitting above the heat long enough to receive any radiation before being moved and is moving so fast that it is generating wind. Ever run past a bonfire? Did it make you feel a lasting warmth when you did? No. The air around the fire is being lowered in temperature by this contraption, making food take longer to cook. Like a lot longer. So that's radiation gone.
Moving that fast and generating enough heat to make the grill frame hot enough for conduction would require it sitting there a long, long time. But the gyroscope effect of the grill grate causes all the heat to be concentrated towards the center while all the other meat is rotated around. So any meat in the middle will be cooked much more thoroughly than the rest. So conduction is possible in the middle, but the fringe won't get as much heat, and some parts of the edge could be more cooked than others, depending on (I'm assuming) the random movements of the gyroscope.
That leaves convection. Now, convection is possible for any appropriate length of time and heat... on a flat surface. This gizmo is spinning the shit out of that meat and the food isn't always a close distance to the heat source. When you set up a grill in your backyard, you set the food on a flat surface and it gets some quality time really close to the heat- literally, like inches. Good grillmasters have more than one heat source in their grills by pushing the charcoals to one side and switching their food between the two heat zones whenever they need to change the temperature. It's called the two-zone method and it'll change the game in your backyard grilling. Anyway that's a massive temperature change and we're talking inches here, and this device puts the food a solid foot or two away from the heat at random times.
Chicken needs an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be considered safe for consumption. On a standard grill this is easily and efficiently achieved without sacrificing any specific desires by the grillmaster to have it cook slower or faster, or to have it be more or less tender due to the time taken to cook it.
This device would fail to be more efficient, would fail to use the advantages that a charcoal grill offers in the first place, and would fail to offer a consistent, manageable temperature for all parts of the food placed in it.
tl;dr, The chicken is probably raw on the inside.
Damn good job there! I highly suggest adding this to a nearby shelf if you don't already have it... Miyoko Schinner's The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples
I'm going to actively try to avoid recipe books here in my links (that said, that means you're missing out on Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, Death & Co, Potions of the Caribbean, and The Joy of Mixology so.... YMMV)
Liquid Intelligence - IMHO must have guide on the technical aspects of bartending. This book is amazing and is the first thing I share with my coworkers that want to broaden their knowledge
The Drunken Botanist - In depth examination of the plants that go into making our favorite drinks, beers, booze, and sundry
Bitters - Has history of bitters, along with instructional on how to make your own.
Shrubs Kind of recipes but also talks about how to make shrubs and good proportions for them, which isn't super common.
Wine Folly Do you want a good intro-to-wine with good, clear reference sheets about styles and pairings? Here's your book
The Wine Bible Want to know way more than you ever thought you wanted to know about wine? This is what you want to be reading.
The Beer Bible - Same as above, but for beer instead of wine.
Holy Smoke! Its Mezcal Mezcal can be hard to pin down and I've found this one to be decent. Includes a table of things that were available in the US at time of publishing and the author's opinions on quality.
Vermouth - pretty in depth history on vermouth, focusing on its place in American cocktail Culture
Imbibe! In depth history of early cocktail culture, focusing on Jerry Thomas and the Bon Vivant's Companion
...I'm sure I could think of more, given the time. I'm trying to just delve into things currently on my shelf, and not in my wishlist.
In America some people use their car engines for cooking:
https://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
For starters: If husband's goal is getting the kids to become vegan, then forcing them to becoming vegan is the absolute wrong way to do it. I didn't like being forced to eat meat as a kid, so I can't imagine your kids are too pleased with this forced diet either. It's one thing to raise your children to eat what you eat--but if you radically change that mid-stream, that's pretty unfair to them. Also, vegan diets can be perfectly healthy for kids, but only if kids will actually eat the right variety of food. Kids who aren't, probably won't be getting the nutrition they need. Again, I'm a reverse case of this--had an iron deficiency as a kid, but I don't as an adult, and I think it's mostly because I eat a better diet as a vegetarian than as a kid who avoided meat in a meat-centric diet. Your kids may run into issues if they're avoiding key parts of a good vegan diet.
Anyway, on to the actual food advice:
Here's the book I recommended as the vegan starter cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/000-Vegan-Recipes/dp/0470085029 is the first vegan cookbook that my husband started out with. I'd absolutely recommend it as a place to start! Aside from the three main proteins that most Americans aren't too familiar eating (tofu, tempeh, and seitan) there aren't many unfamiliar ingredients. And there are TONS of recipes in the book without any of those three--it's got 1000, after all. There are tons of rice and noodle based recipes that non-vegan wouldn't bat an eye at.
This blog (http://ohsheglows.com) has some pretty great stuff, and she also has a cookbook out that we use pretty often. Our favorite cookbook at the moment is https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902 Both of these will get you into some more off-beat ingredients, though nothing too crazy. (The latter, for example, uses cashew creme--basically, cashews and water in a blender--in a number of recipes.)
Some foods are really easy to switch to vegan; some are not. Butter and milk are two relatively easy ones, unless you're a butter or milk lover. If you're just someone who bakes/cooks with butter (and not someone who relishes butter on bread), then it's easy to swap for vegan versions. Similarly, if milk is mostly for cereal or for eating with cookies (and not something you enjoy in and of itself), it's easy to switch to soy/almond/rice/etc. I'd suggest having both in the house for a while, and cutting down to just the vegan one as people adjust. And experiment with different milks--I prefer almond to soy, but maybe your kids would prefer soy to almond.
I'm not big on vegan yogurt yet, but others may not really mind the switch. What I'm going to recommend is that you stay FAR away from vegan cheese. There is no faster way, in my mind, to turn someone off to veganism than to give them vegan cheese. It is absolutely impossible to substitute cheese the way you can butter, milk, even ice cream. (And I used to LOVE dairy ice cream. Like, I was majorly snobby about ice cream. But I am perfectly happy with cashew-nut or coconut-based alternatives. Definitely recommend those over the soy based ones--the higher fat content makes a difference.)
Anyway, back to cheese--if your husband wants to get the fake cheese, that's fine, but it will send your kids screaming from the dinner table. The worst way to go vegan is to try to replicate standard favorites with non-animal products (i.e. pizza, mac n cheese, cheeseburgers). Meat and cheese replacements are okay for someone who's been vegan, but they are terrible tools for conversion. ;)
It sounds like you're into stir-fries--have you experimented with curries at all? They don't have to be spicy if that's a concern for you or for the kiddos. Chilis can also be a good meal that appeals to the (formerly)-omnivorous, and you can change up the ingredients so they don't get too boring. Sweet potato and black bean one week, tempeh and kidney beans the next. Frozen veggie burgers are "for emergencies only" vegan food, but homemade ones can be fantastic. (They don't stay together super well without eggs, but the look doesn't affect the taste. If the kids don't like food that "breaks," stick the patties in wraps instead of buns.) Lately, I'm really into using soaked walnuts in taco bowls (not the tortilla kind, more like rice and beans and salsa and guac)--basically you soak roughly chopped walnuts for a while, drain them, and toss with chili powder and cumin. No one's crazy enough to think it tastes like chicken, but it tastes good.
In the summer, I'd barely eat real meals if I wasn't living with my husband, who for some reason thinks that it's appropriate to have an actual dinner even when it's 90 degrees. What a weirdo ;) If your kids eat tofu and mixed veggies, it sounds like they're good eaters, so pump them full of fresh fruits and veggies while you can! A big salad along with corn on the cob can be a great summer meal. Pasta salads work well in summer also--just check the dressing's ingredients if using store-bought. (And, usually they're not vegan, so you're better off just using oil and vinegar + seasoning).
Where I can see having a harder time is when school starts. We bring leftovers to work, which isn't really possible for your kids unless they like their leftovers cold. I've noticed that bento-box style lunches seem all the rage (or is that so 2016?)...if you pack them some carrot sticks or pepper slices orbroccoli crowns, maybe with some hummus dip, a fruit or two, some nuts, some Triscuits--that seems like a perfectly fine lunch to me. Vegan sandwiches--at least, the kind you'd pack in a lunchbox--are harder to do, aside from peanut butter, but a hummus-lettuce-tomato slice-sprouts sandwich would work.
I had a lot of luck with this book. https://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874
Between that and hours of watching grannies on YouTube, I can now make indian food without recipes that tastes pretty legit.
https://i.imgur.com/dbdgEA3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mTzoQCT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mCig6Ce.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DXfik1W.jpg
Book these are from
I'd recommend using a grill unless you have a MAPP or Propylene blowtorch. Other kinds can leave a faint taste of fuel on the meat.
Maybe it's carbon steel. But yeah, it's hard to watch as I also assumed nonstick. This is my favorite technique video of his (his book New Complete Techniques is also a must purchase).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku5p1CcGn70&user=TopSecretPt
Edit: Misremembered the name of the book.
Go buy this book. Don't steal it, pay money for it. It's one of the few things you'll buy that's worth every damn penny. Read it cover to cover. Go practice. This is the BBQ bible.
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
This is Texas and good BBQ has gotten me Money, Liquor, and Women. This is a religion.
Your options vary from 40 - 95% ABV (vodka, Everclear/NGS and other spirits as well). Your choice will depend on several factors:
I generally tincture with a base of 80% 151 proof spirit and 20% lower proof spirit(s). This yields me a base @ 60 - 68%. Given a base in this range, when tincturing is complete, I can usually expect a batch of bitters around 50% ABV. Just where I like 'em. I tend to extract components individually and blend a final bitters. For fresher components (read: with higher water content), like fresh citrus peels and herbs, lean closer to a 68% base. For dried components, like spices, lean closer to a 60% base. With a 60-68% base range, I can normally control the extraction process entirely with time. I can overextract if I want to, or be more controlling with less time.
I hope this makes sense.
I highly recommend Mark Bitterman's Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters & Amari. At <$9 for the epub version, it may be the best resource currently available. I also recommend Brad Thomas Parson's Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas.
~Good luck!
There's even a cookbook for it called Manifold Destiny.
Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is terrific. Highly recommended.
Can't believe no one has said The Bar Book by Jeff Morganthaler, aka /u/le_cigar_volante
From the official Amazon description: Written by renowned bartender and cocktail blogger Jeffrey Morgenthaler, The Bar Book is the only technique-driven cocktail handbook out there. This indispensable guide breaks down bartending into essential techniques, and then applies them to building the best drinks. More than 60 recipes illustrate the concepts explored in the text, ranging from juicing, garnishing, carbonating, stirring, and shaking to choosing the correct ice for proper chilling and dilution of a drink. With how-to photography to provide inspiration and guidance, this book breaks new ground for the home cocktail enthusiast.
Here's some high praise from a mutual friend:
"...my favorite drinks book of the year is The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique. Mr. Morgenthaler, a well-regarded Portland, Ore.-based bartender and blogger, notes that a great cocktail requires a combination of three elements: recipe, ingredient and technique. He admits that the first two have been well-plumbed in existing books, then lasers in on the third. Just learning how to make his ingenious but simple "MacGyver Centrifuge" with cheesecloth and a salad spinner to filter fruit juices is nearly worth the cover price." - Wayne Curtis, The Wall Street Journal
The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World is pretty good if you're interested in learning how to make your own yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and the like. Save you a couple bucks and impress your friends and the ladies/men with your earthly hobby.
The Art Of Fermentation should be on everybody's shelves.
Nice article, btw. Some great stuff in there on fermentation in a warm, humid climate, where it seems (from a Northern perspective) that foods ferment way too quickly.
Fix It and Forget It seems to be the usual go-to for most slow cooker enthusiasts. They've been around for possibly 20 years or more. I bought a smaller paperback copy back in 2002 or 2003.
Another good one would have to be the America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution. America's Test Kitchen, produced by the publishers of Cooks Illustrated, tests hundreds or even thousands of recipes for a particular dish and then creates a recipe that is usually 100% foolproof. Not only does it work, but it will taste good. And if it doesn't, it's easy to see where you might have gone wrong, or where the recipe might have gone wrong. In some cases, it's even to tell if the recipe would be good before even trying to cook it. They list the ingredients in the order you'll use them, based on the instructions.
Again, no. A slow cooker is a way of cooking stuff long and low. A pressure cooker is a way of increasing the boiling point of water so that things cook hotter. But you can't just take recipe X made for "normal" cooking and put it in a pressure cooker to make it cook faster or put it in a slow cooker to make it cook slower. Well, you can, but it will not turn out good in either case.
Get America's Test Kitchen's books Slow Cooker Revolution (the second edition is lighter on prep work) and Pressure Cooker Perfection and see for yourself how the two aren't simply interchangeable by changing the amount of time you cook something.
He published a newer version of the book with color images and some new techniques.
Link to the book on Amazon
There's a cookbook built around this mode of learning to cook (though he uses "techniques" instead of "skills").
Michael Ruhlman's Twenty. I cannot recommend it – and anything else he's written – enough.
For Indian, I love Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. (Ugly mobile link: http://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1449666007&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=660+curries+raghavan+iyer ).
It has an almost ludicrous number of recipes from across India, including much more than just curries. He has how-to guides for naan, paneer, ghee, a ton of spice mixes; all the hard to source ingredients that are simple to make. It also has nice explanations of techniques that are not common in European cuisine, an awesome glossary of food, tools, and tech, and a substitutions guide to replace ingredients you might have a tough time finding. I've used it to cook for several Indian friends, who have all been complimentary of the authenticity (and deliciousness) of the recipes.
I personally like books by Ruhlman like techniques or ratio they aren't too chefy for me and are easy to read.
Aaron Franklin's book has excellent instructions and descriptions of the entire process. Helped me produce some really good ones recently as a smoking noob. Keep at it and you'll get better and better!
You're either making things up as you go along or working off bad information. No need to be embarrassed about it, so long as you try to get it right rather than just going with it. Posting here with a question like this is a great step and should be supported rather than just being scoffed at...
I'll direct you to this post by Dave Arnold, and recommend you read his follow-ups as well.
TL;DR:
Thermodynamic equilibrium exists for a given combination of alcohol and water. You can get there faster by shaking than stirring, but how you shake won't make much of a difference so long as you use sufficient ice. The texture will be different due to aeration.
Also, check out his just released book Liquid Intelligence or Jeffrey Morgenthaler's The Bar Book if you would like a nuanced and researched discussion of cocktail science.
This is not a rule of SWPL cuisine, it's a rule of cuisine. Fat, acid and salt are the three things that make everything taste better. Acid and salt in particular are good at making other flavors more apparent.
This book is infuriatingly twee but discusses the subject well:
https://smile.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830?sa-no-redirect=1
The term curry describes a vast array of dishes, it would be comparable to say casserole. A curry is basically any dish in a spiced sauce. There are many commonly used spices but you don't have to use a certain one for it to be a curry.
My personnel favorite cook book for this is 660 Curries.
There are many kinds of chicken curry. Some well known ones would be Chicken Vindaloo (spices and vinegar), and the British curry Chicken Tikka Masala.
I love Appetite for Reduction, a vegan cookbook by Isa Chandra Moscowitz.
Dude, that's fantastic news. This comment immediately got me subscribed for updates.
Some other source recommendations off the top of my head...
Tiki drinks:
General cocktails:
...that's... not a bad list to get started. Good luck! I'll be interested to follow along with development.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat is so great at teaching you about the whys and hows of cooking instead of just giving you a recipe. It's my favorite one.
How to Cook Without a Book by Pam Anderson is another great one.
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Might I suggest an alternative method? In my experience, the study of the techniques to cooking are at least half the battle in laying a foundation for a good culinary education. Rather than take the direct simple-to-complex recipe route, perhaps there is value in utilizing a hybrid method of learning where the recipes are centered around the use of particular skills in the kitchen. Some useful materials that come to mind are "Complete Techniques" by Jacques Pepin or "The Way to Cook" by Julia Child. Once these types of technical skills are engrained in your cooking process, you will find the true joy of cooking which is much less about following instructions and more to do with finding your "culinary groove".
A great starting place is Rhulman's Charcuterie. It breaks down equipment and technique and has some really solid recipes.
I cure in a wine cooler.
That's such a great book idea that Michael Ruhlman already wrote it.
http://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438
DO NOT buy one of those "kitchen in a box" starter kits for $99. You will only learn how to burn things because the steel is so thin! You will end up years from now either donating them all to Goodwill or using them only to boil water. Buy one nice pan every month or two and you will never regret it.
Required Reading For New Cooks:
Happy cooking!
Buy Alton Brown's books Gear for your kitchen and I'm just here for the food. Buy what can for your kitchen within your budget and start teaching yourself how to cook.
Make sure you have a comfortable bed.
Realize that getting a good night sleep and eating well are the cornerstones for a happy life.
I gained 60 pounds being a junk food vegan and now I've lost all of it by trying to eat whole foods and count calories. I still love fries, cookies, bread, pasta, chocolate, etc. I just try to eat healthy most of the time and occasionally indulge. I would suggest using myfitnesspal or a similar app to keep track of calories and macro nutrients.
If you just cut out meat, dairy, eggs, animal products, sugar, processed carbs and soy... Oh Boy! That's a lot all at once and most people who go vegan for health reasons don't stick to the diet because they see it as... well a diet. It's a lifestyle change that involves making an ethical choice at every meal.
Having said that, going vegan was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I've never looked back. Check out Appetite for Reduction . It's full of healthy vegan meals and it lists the nutrition info for each recipe! Good luck :)
I think you should include [Franklin Barbecue] (https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510768637&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=franklin+barbecue) in your reading. You can also watch some of the youtube videos he posted on building your own smoker but the book goes into the level of detail I think you are looking for.
It looks like the smoke just heats the box and doesn't come into contact with the meat. But still...
Try this instead. We used to cook baked potatoes and a pork tenderloin in my buddies Seventy-something Dodge Dart on out way up to the mountain campsites.
As an avid cook and collector of cookbooks, I have three recommendations -
The first two will teach you the essentials of cooking. How salt, fat, acid, and heat work together to make delicious food. J Kenji Lopez Alt has a popular serious eats blog and his book will teach you everything you need to know about cooking perfect meat, eggs, burgers, etc.
Once you learn all of the basics from those books, use the Flavor Bible to be creative.
I would recommend Modernist Cuisine at Home to anyone looking into a scientific approach to cooking without a second thought it is absolutely fantastic.
The full version of Modernist Cuisine is wonderful and interesting and I would say only about 15% of the recipes can be recreated using a standard home kitchen. If you're looking for practicality and recipes you can make yourself with a more scientific approach I would go with Modernist Cuisine at Home but if someone wants to know the ENTIRE in depth science(and history) behind the dishes Modernist Cuisine is the best.
It's not cheap, but Modernist Cooking at Home has some really cool tips on basic cooking. They do a lot things where they've cross sectioned appliances and you can see what the food looks like at different cooking steps and times to know what effect the actions you're taking have on the food.
So I've finally decided to get serious about my beer brewing after making a half dozen or so more-or-less successful batches in my basement over the past 3 or 4 years. (Partial mash style for now, all-grain will come later.)
I picked up this book which seems to be a fantastic resource; I knew what all the steps were, but that book really cleared up why each step is necessary. And now I finally know what the actual difference between an ale and a lager is!
So now I'm planning on converting my propane-fueled outside burner to natural gas and to pick up a used chest freezer so that I can use it as a fermenting fridge. This is turning into an expensive hobby... but that should be the last of the capital equipment expenses (except for that really, really sweet looking conical fermenter).
Mark my words: I will master Pilsner.
Ultimately, I'd really like to compete in Beau's Oktoberfest homebrew competition. The winner gets to make a batch of their recipe at a commercial scale at Beau's facility and then they'll actually sell it in store alongside their own!
Get a book on curries.
Divorce yourself from everything you think a curry is because the word "curry" has practically no meaning beyond "sauce". Curry is the European term for every regional dish of a-thing-in-sauce the imperialists managed to encounter. This is why you have to specify "Madras curry" or "Punjabi curry" - they use entirely different regional ingredients. Colors have no relation to spiciness, in the same way you can make a red chili hotter than a white or green chili but the flavor profiles are different.
I read in [Ruhlman's Twenty] (http://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1373518144&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ruhlmans+twenty) by Mike Ruhlman that you should soak the chicken in water for the same amount of time you overbrined it. EDIT: I've made [his] (http://www.foodrepublic.com/2011/12/11/sage-garlic-brined-pork-chops-recipe) brine for pork, but used pork loin in the oven and it and it came out great.
This book has the recipe in it. The problem with root beer bitters is that they can not be sold commercially due to the use of sassafras (a mild carcinogen) in them. The book is a pretty good read and has a number of homemade bitter recipes.
I would stronlgy recommend Jacques Pepin who is wonderful.
Here's what I started with: https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595
There are 15-20 different recipes in here and it's a great reference with good instructions for the whole process.
Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For The Food and the sequel. They teach you not just how to cook, but why particular methods are used from a scientific standpoint. It helped me a lot when I was getting started a few years ago.
Here's one that I got from Alton Brown.
You'll need a good steak. Costco sells good ones, but you have to throw a party to eat them all. I've also had success with higher-end grocery stores.
You'll also need a cast-iron pan. Iron holds more heat than aluminum or stainless, and is a bit more affordable than copper.
A good ventilation hood is nice too, because this recipe makes lots of burning-protein smoke.
Set the meat on your countertop for 20 minutes. This allows it to come to the right temperature - if it's too cold, the insides will cook less; too warm and it'll cook too much. Obviously this is a variable you can adjust to how you like your steak; I like mine rarer than most.
Put your pan on the stove and set it to high before you do the rest. You want that pan HOT.
Next, rub a small amount of olive oil on each side of the steaks, a couple of drops for each side. This acts as a heat conductor, like thermal paste on your CPU heatsink. Sprinkle a pinch of salt (kosher if you have it) on each side, and massage it in. Let the steaks sit for 5 minutes.
Now you're ready to cook. Pick up the steaks with tongs, and gently lay them down in the pan, and leave them absolutely alone for 2 minutes. If you slide the steak around, you'll ruin the nice crust that forms on the outside. At this point you'll want to turn on your hood. When the 2 minutes is up, flip the steaks (again, with tongs - good steak shouldn't have a fork stuck in it until it's on the table), and leave them alone for 3 minutes.
Remove the steaks from the pan, and set them on a plate. Cover it with aluminum foil or a big mixing bowl, and let them sit for 5 minutes. The steak is actually still cooking on the inside, and this lets some of the juices soak back to the outside surface. Serve and enjoy - they shouldn't need any A-1.
for eggs, unless you just would miss the taste, depends what you use them for. baking is easy to replace with flax eggs or egg substitutes which i haven't really tried. for scrambles, that's easy - http://minimalistbaker.com/southwest-tofu-scramble/
lots of people like chao cheese, but it's got that processed taste in my opinion. miyoko's vegan cheese is great - http://shop.miyokoskitchen.com/
miyoko actually has a book with all sorts of stuff you can make yourself, along with cheese - https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778
there's a whole awesome vegan food world out there :)
Water has a huge effect on how beer tastes/smells/feels/etc. However, a company like Diageo can absolutely purify and treat the water at one location to be just like another.
In addition, all Guinness draught in the the UK and the US is made at the St. James Gate brewery in Ireland, though some other Guinness products may be made elsewhere.
A couple years ago, I was at the St. James Gate brewery the day before I flew home to the US. I bought a can of draught at both the brewery and then another at my local grocery store, and the day after I got home myself and about 20 other big nerds double-blind tasted them. The consensus was that they were different, though only just. Had I not had them side by side, I don't think I could have distinguished them. There was a slight preference among us for the one from Ireland, but it was not universal, as the beers were extremely similar.
We also all felt that what differences we could detect could be easily explained by the slightly different ages and markedly different shipping conditions experienced by the two cans.
I pretty firmly believe the differences between how we experience Guinness in the US vs. in Ireland are almost entirely due to psychological factors. We're excited to try it in Ireland, and we're relaxed and on vacation, priming us to enjoy the experience far more than we would having it at our local faux-Irish bar here in the states.
Whenever I think back to when I first discovered something I now love, I find that it was a time I was happy, relaxed and open to new experiences. Usually out with friends or family and having a good time well before I tried whatever thing I now love. I think drinking Guinness in Ireland has the same effect. It's not that the beer is different in Ireland, it's that we are different in Ireland!
Freshness, presentation, clean lines, correct gas pressures/mixtures, etc. certainly all play some role, but a good bar should have those pretty well dialed in in either country, minimizing the effect.
Because it's an entertaining video that came to the same conclusion as other well-respected food writers including J. Kenji López-Alt, Nathan Myhrvold, and Thomas Keller.
Jacques Pepin is awesome at teaching techniques, and especially good at giving detailed instructions that are easy to follow (even if not so easy to execute without practise).
Besides his numerous youtube videos, his Complete Techniques book and DVD (i have both) are really good. Like how to cut vegetables, cook eggs in various ways, debone a chicken etc. I find the DVD easier to follow.
Book: http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-P%C3%A9pin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110
DVD: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000LXHJZA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1457271533&amp;sr=8-3&amp;pi=SY200_QL40&amp;keywords=jacques+pepin+dvd&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51RpoAjNx9L&amp;ref=plSrch
His video on making an American omelet and a French omelette. This video is the best there is, and i have seen dozens of other videos about making an omelet.
https://youtu.be/s10etP1p2bU
Edit: His scrambled eggs recipe since you said that is your next goal.
https://youtu.be/u8QIDHla6iA
(From 11:40, but if you go back a few minutes, he also tells you how to make mushrooms to accompany the scrambled eggs)
How To Brew is your best bet to start, however, I would recommend picking up the book as well. The online free version is the 1st edition of the book. While about 85% of the material is still true, it is about 15 years old at this point. The current print edition is the 3rd edition and there have been a number of updates.
You can also check out the 4th edition of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie P which was most recently updated in September of last year.
For Christmas I got Isa Does It as a present, and for now it looks really good.
It's not preachy, and it does not have recipes (like I saw on many blogs) that are just like non-vegan ones with just vegan-dairy/-meat/egg-replacement in place of the dairy/eggs/meat.
Michael Ruhlman's Twenty discusses twenty techniques and recipes using them. It sounds like exactly what you're looking for.
I'd go with Ruhlman's Twenty for some one that needs to learn the fundamentals.
> $549 retail
Damn it, I have to do math again....
For $550 you can also purchase the following:
That's really everything you need for one batch and we're only up to $218...
To fill the gap of $282, how about 7 extract kits estimating about $40 per kit?
So with my plan of $548 (that's one dollar cheaper!) you get 40 gallons of beer! How much does the competitor make per batch?
> The newer keg, which is the same volume (1.75 gallons) as the old keg will have simplified connectors.
most of my knowledge on this subject is coming from what I recollect of a single chapter from this fantastic book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Homebrewing-Fourth-Edition/dp/0062215752 plz excuse any errors i make in formatting, this is my first time actually saying anything on reddit!
The simple answer of course, is Prohibition.
The years of prohibition in this country destroyed the beautiful rainbow of different beer styles previously available in this country. Most smaller breweries simply dissappeared, as their product became illegal, while a few larger ones turned their grain processing facilities towards cereal production.
When prohibition ended, some of these companies, and I suppose a couple new ones, decided to go ahead and profit once again from alcohol production. But the problem they faced, was how to overcome the stigma still associated with alcohol consumption? Beer was considered by many to be a "dirty, sinful" product, consumed by criminals. Basically they decided that they needed to market their product to the ladies. If women could be seen drinking beer, then the public would decide it must be alright.
So, in an effort to make it appealing to more women, they set out to brew the lightest, smoothest, "dainty-est" style they could think of. Which happened to be a newer style from Czechoslovakia, called "pilsner". It was basically the fruity wine cooler, "liquid panty remover" of its day. Since the only brewing companies left standing after prohibition were the few really big ones, they cranked out millions of gallons of the stuff in huge batches, and took over the market with it. The pilsner style became the norm, and adjectives like "smooth, crisp, cool, refreshing etc." became imprinted on the mainstream mind as the idea of what beer "should" be.
Watch a lot of american beer commercials and you'll see for instance how much attention they focus on the WATER which goes into making their beer; not the hops, nor the grain, and certainly not what strain of yeast is involved; no, they like to prattle on about what sort of water they use, and also how cold it is. Kinda bizzarre huh?
Now, as for what we call "light" beers in this country, another poster seems to have mentioned that apparently "light beer" means something a bit different in Australia?
Well as previously mentioned, here it means "low calorie", basically "diet beer" and there is some idea (esp. among college kids) that light beer actually has MORE alcohol, as it well might in some cases, at least where pilsners are concerned. Lowering the caloric content of beer usually involves reducing the carbohydrates (sugars) of the final product, and one way to do this is to ferment more of those original sugars into alcohol.
They also tend to use adjuncts like rice and corn. (i think rice and corn convert more easily to alcohol maybe? not sure)
Most breweries would want to know at least:
Brewers sometimes add minerals to our water to control things like perceived bitterness, mash pH, etc. Certain beer styles "require" water with certain mineral profiles. For example, Pilseners are often brewed with very soft water, similar to the water in Pilsen, Cech Republic. Certain British styles might use hard water with a lot of sulfates. I'm being somewhat ambiguous, because lots of people will say they brew pilseners with hard water, and ESB with soft water.
There is a great book on it written by John Palmer, a legend in the brewing world. If you're interested in water as it relates to brewing, I'd highly recommend it.
I've read Designing Great Beers and it's a great resource as a style guide, but it leans much more towards the empirical side when it comes to explaining things. If you're looking for something a little more scientific and data-driven there are some other really good options.
Suggestions:
/ Yeast
/ Malt
/ Hops - Very specific and science driven focus on each element.
I've made some bitters from Brad Parson's Bitters Book, definitely a good starting point.
It all depends on what you're looking for. If I had to go for one general book to start out with it'd probably be The Essential Bartender's Guide - great intro with some history, as well as discussion on what different types of drinks are, etc. Good Jack-of-all-trades book. As you get a little deeper, the standouts for me are Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, Bitters, Imbibe!, and Punch. Vintage is a great resource to get an idea of what's been done (and lost) over the years, and is a great place to learn about what types of flavors work well together, plus there's a great blurb about the history of the drink with each recipe. Bitters is pretty self explanatory, but it has a nice intro to cocktail history, and s ton of great recipes, both new and old. Really interesting to see how slight tweaks in the bitters used (Fourth Regiment vs a Manhattan, for example) makes a huge difference in the ultimate product. Imbibe and Punch are simply brilliant history lessons, with a few recipes thrown in for good measure. Cheers!
6-year vegan here. /u/57001 has a good list. I'd add Oh She Glows to the blog list for healthy reasonably tasty things that don't take a lot of weird vegan ingredients. Also, Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction was my first vegan cookbook and is still my favorite. It's written as a diet cookbook but the macronutrient breakdown makes it really good for a runner's diet. It's written with a dietician gives you nutrition information on every page. Everything is super easy for weeknight cooking, budget-friendly, and delicious.
Hummus is your best friend. It's a good source of protein and carbs and you can find it everywhere. Very useful when you're traveling some place that's vegan hell. Although, probably pick a less greasy one than Sabra.
And yes, take your B12. A good proportion of omnivores tend to be deficient in it as well so it's not just a vegan thing. You can technically get it through fortified foods, but I would not rely on this. And sublingual or spray is better absorbed by your body than pills.
Happy to answer any other questions you might have.
The Art of Fermentation
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fermentation-Depth-Exploration-Essential/dp/160358286X
I live in the heart of the south and have access to an amazing amount of fresh produce. I'm always experimenting.
The book Slow Cooker Revolution from America's Test Kitchen is well worth the $15 - it's filled with recipes and shortcuts specifically tested for the slow cooker
Rob Wolf's book has a 30 day meal plan in it.
Are you just bartending casually at home or are you looking to do it as a job in the future?
Jefferey Morgenthaler's book is great:https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X
You'll want to get a jigger, I recommend oxo's graduated jigger, a barspoon, a mixing glass, a strainer, a set of shaker tins (get a small and a large, and seriously splurge for koriko not the other bullshit)
Those are all of the essentials, beyond that everything is fairly unnecessary but there are tons of other things you can buy. I guess a vegetable peeler could be handy for peels but you can just use a sharp paring knife for zest garnishes.
For glassware you can spend as much or as little as you want, depending on how much you care about appearance. When I first starting making drinks at home I had glasses for every variety of drink. I still have those glasses, but basically use these for everything, regardless if it's shaken stirred or whatever. Gimlets taste delicious out of them, manhattans taste delicious out of them.
One little handy thing I've found is these seagram's bottles. Buy a 6 pk of the little glass club soda bottles. Once you use the soda, rinse them out and they're perfect for storing syrups, juices, etc. Plastic caps won't deteriorate like metal will in other styles of bottlees. They're short so they fit in weird parts of your fridge, hold enough syrup for plenty of drinks, etc etc.
You're not letting salt do its work, AKA osmosis. Salt your chicken a day in advance. You're seasoning way too close to when you cook, which is drawing out the moisture while it's in the oven making it even drier. If you give salt enough time, it draws out the moisture but then restructures the proteins in the meat so they reabsorb the salty water and retain the moisture. For more check out Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is not exactly this concept. But would definitely be a great tool for building skills, concepts, and what kit you actually need.
That's the At Home version which is highly abbreviated for home cooking.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0982761015/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=14N2Q5DGXA1VKQ9XD196
Vs
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
I love cookbooks, and have probably fifty in my collection.
The ones I keep going back to are:
Jeffrey Morganthaler's fantastic new book on cocktail techniques has a great little section on this (page 158). When dry shaking, he says to align your tin/glass (tin/tin) centrally, rather than at a slight angle as you usually would when sealing a boston shaker. He says this gives a better seal, as the tins wont contract as they would with ice.
You said that you do not want a paid bartending gig, and that's good, because very few places will hire a person from bartending school, ANY bartending school. Those schools are a rip off.
But, you said that you just wanted to learn some bartending skills. You're in luck because that's easy . Pick up some good books on bartending and read them, make drinks, and share those drinks with your friends.
Jeffrey Morganthaler just put out a really good book on the craft of bartending, and I highly recommend it ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/145211384X?pc_redir=1405569504&amp;robot_redir=1). Read this first.
Look at how much money and time I just saved you! Plus, you'll learn a lot more useful information.
Good luck!
Which, for the record, is hella cheap today.
Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques
The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook
The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science
From here you can move on to:
Institut Paul Bocuse Gastronomique: The definitive step-by-step guide to culinary excellence
&
Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, Completely Revised and Updated
These are all great resources. Also look for culinary school text books and always youtube.
The resources are out there and with everyone having a different way to learn and adopt information the variety in options is tremendous. Good luck and keep cooking. If you have any questions please reach out and if I can help I will.
Hey! Finished on my birthday. When should I expect my shipment? :P
What's your favorite of the lot so far? Also, the description of your process lines up with every recipe I've read so far for bitters -- except the infusion typically is 3 weeks with the water infusion sitting for 1 week after the boil. Several of the recipes in the book I have (https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595) do seem to add syrups, molasses, or even honey to the mix, so take that as you will. Looks like someone already suggested adding a little bit of simple to the bitters as well.
I kindof agree with your points on peach/lavender/chocolate bitters, but I don't know if I feel that they can never have their place in a drink. They probably should be called tinctures in stead (see bottom for distinction), as they are basically single flavored.
However, I do feel you're leading up to making a point of how "the proper bitters" are used as rescue operations for a cocktail, by removing unwanted finish/adding nose - and then you shy away from that point entirely, saying it's okay to do so. I think if you're working on a new cocktail you should wait for as long as possible in your workshop process before adding the bitters, as otherwise you may be using this to amend an off acidity profile/remove unwanted taste. When you get a base recipe down though, using bitters to add some complexity or enhance certain aspects of the flavors that certainly does have it's place. In this context, I feel the "single flavor bitters"/tinctures have their place. In a stirred cocktail f.ex., adding some chocolate bitters to the drink may add an element to it while not sweetening it any more, which could be something you'd want if your drink isn't already using a sweetening agent/syrup that you could remake and incorporate the chocolate into.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN BITTERS AND TINCTURES:
Tinctures: a single ingredient boiled down to extract flavour, and then put on alcohol to preserve it.
Bitters: a collection of tinctures carefully blended to create a complex flavor profile. I'd say you need probably three tinctures together to get a "proper" bitter, mixing two doesn't quite feel like it has too much purpose/complexity to it.
If you really want to get nerdy about the subject, I can recommend this book. I have a copy and have read through it, but I'm still too put off by the complexity/time aspect of the whole process to get started on something like that. Also, getting a bigger apartment and a better grasp on taste compositions is something I'd prefer to have before really going into this stuff...
I think most bartenders consider this to be the bitters Bible, $6.99 on kindle. Happy bittering =D
https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595
I recommend Bitters and The Drunken Botanist as well!
Cooking really isn't too hard once you understand the science of it. I would suggest getting a cookbook that explains why a recipe is cooked a certain way. For example, this one by Alton Brown. You could and probably should look up some of his stuff on youtube, too.
I'll give you a few basic tips to start -
You can always subscribe to r/fitmeals, r/cooking, or r/food too.
Learning to cook will take some time. For now, I'd recommend baking a lot. Roast veggies, bake some chicken breasts, stuff like that.
Roasting veggies is really easy. Cube the veggies of your choice, coat in olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until tender.
Good luck! And be proud of yourself for figuring this out before you actually have a problem. It will be so much easier to start since you're at a healthy weight.
Alton Brown is a huge geek and had a career in making film/tv before he became a cook and than a cooking show host. He actually filmed this music video for R.E.M. early in his career..
Yeah, huge geek. I highly suggest his books, too. I have his first one, I'm Just Here For The Food, and it contains my favorite recipe in the world. Get it, find the page with his Chicken with Garlic and Shallots, cook it in a slow cooker and omfgbbq, IT IS AWESOME. It's also insanely easy to make.
Once you've started down the road with Alton, there's a bunch of other books I can suggest. Feel free to drop me a line anytime.
Edit: Oh, and while watching the show, pay attention to any clock in the background. A good deal of the time they're set to 4:20.
Earthlings is what made me go vegan, too. (Linked it for others who might be interested in watching it.)
Congrats on the weight loss! I highly recommend Isa Chandra Moskowitz's "Appetite for Reduction," which is a vegan cookbook aimed at weight loss. Her website is great, too.
Good luck with everything!
I originally got this recipe from The Homemade Vegan Pantry Cookbook (which I highly recommend) but it can also be found here (Unribs). A friend of my husband was visiting when I made these and quickly dismissed them but took a few home for his wife to try. He asked for more the next day! For the BBQ sauce, I just used Annie’s Organic BBQ sauce. We did notice that these taste even better the next day.
I actually think America's Test Kitchen's Family Cookbook might be a good option for you here. While the book is pretty big, it covers different courses, not just mains. So you wouldn't feel the need to make every single dish, as you may not always feel like a soup course or whatnot. An added benefit is that the ATK books are generally well researched and their results are pretty consistent. It's also pocketed with useful information about ingredients and cooking techniques in general.
While not as "adventurous" in difficulty as buying a tome from Ottolenghi, it also covers a wide spectrum of ethnicity, so you don't get tired of serving one thing all the time.
If I had a 'dream book' to follow along with, it'd probably be Franklin's :P
This is one of my favorite cookbooks for meat smoking. It's a bit light on outright recipes, but focuses heavily on the process and science of smoking. It's a great tool!
The complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian
I think is by far the most approachable book for any novice. Palmer's book is certainly great, but far more technical and just plain overwhelming for a beginner. Perhaps unless you have a strong science or engineering background (as I understand Palmer does) I find Palmer's book more like a textbook, and Papazian's more like a handbook.
How to Brew was my first book and it was tough, I was often confused and just powering through chapters trying not to get confused. The Joy of Homebrewing takes a much softer approach and simplifies a lot of the more advanced concepts, and is written in much more casual language.
"Relax. Don't worry. And have a homebrew."
When I became vegan, I frequented the frozen a bit too much.
I love to cook but found myself in completely new territory when I went vegan; home coooking was intimidating (thus making frozen an easy transition choice).
I got a freq books and learned some of the pantry and meal prep basics and I've been on a food journey since! Here are two of my favorites (easy, healthy, delish, and all meals covered):
Edit: awesome choice and welcome! 🙃😊
Check out some recipe books and see if you can make any meals you like and then ease yourself into it. That's how I started. I started with this one and it has a lot of good recipes.
Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316221902/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8VnRAbS5569YV
Or this one is aimed at doing meals so that you won't miss meat
Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck https://www.amazon.com/dp/1623363586/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FXnRAbJJ6N7BP
Check them out at your library and just pick a few to test. I've also found a few fake meat products that I never thought I would have liked. Quorn makes some good meatless alternatives like chikn nuggets. There's also Beyond Burger which is shockingly meaty.
People cured meats for thousands of years in their basements and barns using little more than salt, and it worked out pretty well overall. The problem is that every once in awhile, a whole family died.
And these were people who routinely preserved their own food and passed down their techniques from parents to children. Here in the modern world we don't enjoy that advantage. So unless we undertake to study the risks in food preservation, we're taking into our hands our own lives and possibly those of our friends and family.
The short of it is that it's likely not a good strategy to base your curing process on the advice of a couple of anonymous internet people. Pick up a good book on the subject, such as Ruhlman's Charcuterie. Thanks to the modern world, you can download that in seconds and read up on food safety this afternoon.
I bought the book 660 curries and it's been working out great. There is enough variety that you can start with more familiar things (using fewer hard-to-buy spices) and gradually ramp up to more difficult curries. A spice blender is a plus: you'll be able to make your own garam masala.
660 curries by Raghavan Iyer is great. It has a whole chapter dedicated to spice blends, as well as pastes and other building blocks you can pre make to make cooking take less time. A very useful book, I cook out of it about 5-6 times a month.
dude. one book.
http://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874
that's it. I'm Pakistani. this is what friends in the states use for their cooking, and it is awesome.
EDIT: curry mixes wise, SHAAN is your go to. the ones you get in the states are actually better quality.
For strength training, Easy Strength by Pavel and Dan John. There is something in there for anybody.
For cardio training, it's not a book, but Lyle McDonald's series on methods of endurance training, also pretty much anything by Joe Friel.
For diet, Ruhlman's Twenty. It's not about nutrition, but it can teach you all the techniques you need to cook your own healthy (and on occasion not so healthy) foods so that you won't be tempted to go off the reservation and order a double deluxe pizza and chili fries when you don't know what else to eat.
Edit: For something very sport specific, there's also Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Ribiero and Kevin Howell. It's pretty much the beginning BJJ bible.
Well, you found a great spot here already! Also Brulosophy, John Palmer, American Homebrewers Association, Homebrew Talk Forums are all good starting points for websites.
For books, definitely How to Brew is recommended (there may be a newer edition out if I recall), followed by Brewing Classic Styles, Water, Yeast, and, of course, American Sour Beers written by a user on this form by the name of u/oldsock who also has a great site.
For now, work on the process of making beer. Take a look a little later on into something called Beer Smith as it will really help you with dialing recipes in.
I'd recommend she get Isa Moskowitz's vegan cook book "Isa Does It." She teaches people everything they need to know in that book, and she makes it SO easy. Like how to make things seem creamy, or cheesy using cashews... Plus, she emphasizes meals being easy and affordable. I've never had any meal from that book that wasn't delicious!
She has other cookbooks that require more time, but Isa Does It is a full on education for vegan dummies.
Oh, and her desserts are great too! Best homemade chocolate pudding pie, scones, etc. and all vegan.
https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902
I eat vegan 75% of the time. I have about 15 vegan cook books (we all have hobbies) but I recently bought Isa Does It and am in love. I highly recommend it. She's all about dinners you can put together on a weeknight and goes into detail on how to create proteins that you can keep coming back to... As in make a batch of seitan and freeze some. I have made many things from her book as well because she is good about using repeat ingredients. If all else fails beans always work.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316221902?pc_redir=1397730096&amp;robot_redir=1
This. Electric is convenient but makes inferior BBQ. Just work down this list and stop when you've spent enough money.
Maybe add a bone-in Boston butt (pork shoulder) for a first project.
I strongly recommend this book really good information about the basics and science of grilling/smoking. It has drastically improved my grilling abilities.
I got a book called 660 curries that has made my indian cooking drastically improve and I now kind of "get" it. I highly recommend it - I use it probably more than any other cookbook I have.
The trinity of bitters is Angostura, Peychaud's, and Orange bitters. Since you have experience with 2 of the 3, I'd start by rounding out with orange bitters. They're typically used more with herbal spirits, although anything you garnish with a citrus peel is a good option. Regan's is the go-to, but there are plenty on the market these days.
From there, look into chocolate and celery bitters, which add flavors that aren't present in any of the above. Chocolate works well with almost any dark spirit, but tequila/mezcal especially. Celery is a bit harder to work with, but it works in savory drinks, as well as adds a different dimension to a martini.
If you really want to deep dive, look into the book Bitters by Brad Parsons. It has a lot of history, ideas, and several recipes for homemade bitters.
Google "DIY Cocktail Bitters" to find dozens of online references.
Two books that are fantastic...
This is probably my favorite cookbook ever, but I am not sure if it's a book that everyone would really enjoy reading. For me, the book is fascinating because it goes into an enormous amount of detail on ingredients, technique, and food science; at the same time, you kinda have to be a total need to read and enjoy such a sense book.
For something that everyone should read, I like to recommend Alton Brown's book "I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking"; it is basically the science and techniques from the first seasons of Good Eats, so I see it as kind of a Food Lab "lite", a great and very accessible way to introduce people to food and cooking,.
Hence http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Cooking/dp/1584790830/ref=sr_1_sc_1
Not OP, but I highly recommend this book! Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a vegan cookbook rockstar and this is her lower-fat/calorie recipe book. I have cooked almost every single recipe in it and I have yet to find a clunker.
If you're interested in learning more about fermenting, Sandor "Sandorkraut" Katz is a name you should search. He's kind of "the" guy for fermenting.
His Website
His most recent book
The books is a great resource and one of my favorites. Very inspiring to try new stuff. I'm actually going to see him at a workshop he's doing in Rhode Island late this month. Should be awesome.
Good luck!
As a culture, we're just beginning to feel around the edges of the hugely important role that gut flora/our microbiome plays in our health. It seems like almost every day some new and exciting information is coming out regarding this area of knowledge.
At our house, we do a lot of ferments. We've done kombucha, milk and water kefir, lacto-pickles, sourdough culture and homebrewed beer. We also have a friend that has started a local business making amazing sauerkrauts.
If anybody is interested in this stuff, I'd highly recommend Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz. Both excellent books with background info and recipes.
Fermentation can seem unsafe/intimidating, but I've been surprised at how simple it is to do, and how few issues there are in regards to food safety (the whole reason people started fermenting food in the first place was to keep it from spoiling, after all).
https://smile.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778/ref=sr_1_1
She has fish sauce in here, along with countless other recipes. If you like to cook from scratch, this book is a must.
Summary
I got the dough making technique from a book called The Homemade Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner (https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778)
If you are interested in some hardcore vegan cooking, I STRONGLY recommend that book. It's worth the $15. I also used it to culture my own cheddar, and sweet Jesus... just... just trust me on this one.
You do need a pizza stone and a pizza peel for this recipe to work.
The pizza on the right used a sauce I improvised with two cans of tomatoes, two tablespoons of tomato paste, 7 cloves of garlic, half a white onion, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, a tsp of salt, and a tbps of raw sugar. I just put them in a food processor.
I got the pesto on the left from this recipe here: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/artichoke-and-spinach-pesto-pizza/
Toppings included sliced white mushrooms, marinated artichoke, vegan sausage, fresh basil, and Daiya mozzarella (not much, just a sprinkle). The pesto is so rich, it doesn't need the cheese IMO.
The trick is not to let the dough rise until it hits the oven. What you need to do is put a pizza stone in, and let it warm up with the oven at 500F. After an hour, you can transfer the pizza onto the stone with a pizza peel and leave it in the oven for just 10 minutes.
I'll throw in another vote for Isa her books are great.
She wrote the Veganomicon. with Terry Hope Romero and it's been one of my favorites since I got it in 2008.
Another favorite of mine is The Homemade Vegan Pantry
I actually really enjoyed Aaron Franklin's book. Easy to read and very informative.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_kGhJwbQJ1XJ6R
Throw hops at it.
Like absurd amounts.
Think of ludicrous amounts and triple that. Then every single addition but a small bit of clean bitterness FWA, is made at the flame out or later. Your fermenation hop schedule is three times what your flame out schedule was, and you dry hop it twice.
I'm being sarcastic. But hop usage these days are insane on certain styles.
This series:
Water
Hops
Malt
Yeast
Oh, remember to enjoy it.
Best way to start is just to jump right in. Especially cutting out grains, legumes, and dairy. After the first 6 weeks you can start introducing back in a few things, like dairy. But be mindful of young cheeses and dairy high in lactose (lactose = sugar).
I'm a big fan of The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf , Robbwolf.com, and Mark's Daily Apple.
Just a bit of heads up. The first 3 weeks are the hardest. You're body will grave grains (sugar) like crazy. My first week I broke 3-4 times and caved to a few beers, waffles, and pizza. But, don't let it get you down. Just keep pushing through. About days 18-21 you'll start to come out of the fog and really break that addiction.
Good luck! We'll see you on the other side :)
My sister had a lot of difficulty with fertility (even had two miscarriages). She says what finally worked for her was a radical change in her diet. Look into [The Paleo Solution] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Solution-Original-Human/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1344606763&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=paleo+solution)
Basically, though, cut all wheat, dairy, and soy out of your diet. Eat mostly vegetables, some meat, and as little starch as possible. I don't know why, exactly, but she ate like this for about six months, then when she started trying to get pregnant again, it was within a month, and my nephew is a happy, healthy little boy of 11 months.
Best of luck to you, and don't count on God for what you can do for yourself.
Okie dokie, here are a few tips:
That's what comes to mind! Hope it helps.
EDIT - Formatting, and added some links.
EDIT 2 - you asked for websites! This one has an awesome quick start guide and lots of other good stuff. This one has some useful tools. These are the sites of the authors of the books I posted above, I have both books and love them dearly. There are also a TON of data online if you google around!
Don't think of it as a trial. Think of it as your manifold destiny.
Are you travelling by car? If so pick up a copy of this book. You would believe how efficient cooking on your car engine can be. Really.
Manifold Destiny - The guide to cooking on your engine!
When I was learning (in a similar environment that OP described), I had a mentor teach me. I believe that is by far the best way to learn in any industry whether it be in the kitchen, behind the bar, on a construction site, etc.
In lieu of a mentor, there are several books worth picking up to bring up your knowledge, with the combination of internet research:
-Craft of the Cocktail
-Death & Co.
-Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails
-Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique
-Imbibe!
-The Drunken Botanist
-The Curious Bartender
-The Joy of Mixology
Some helpful links:
-Kindred Cocktails
-The Spirits Business
-Good Spirit News
-Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Blog
-Jamie Boudreau's Blog: not updated but still has good info.
I recommend reading Death & Co and The Bar Book.
The author of The Bar Book has this website you can check.
https://www.epicurious.com/ has some great recipes for novices. Also the book SaltFatAcidHeat gives you a really direct and wonderfully written foundation on what to think about while cooking.
Food doesn't have to be expensive, especially while cooking for one, but a lot of grad students (and college students in general) should consider a "meal day" where you pre make large portions and divide them up and store them in the freezer/fridge for the rest of the week to eat at your convenience.
Lots of Burrito/Bean dishes etc are really popular. quick, easy, can eat cold or be microwaved. Cheap to make in bulk and there are a thousand recipes on this subreddit
Jacques Pépin's New Complete Techniques is the bible of technique. It combines La Technique and La Methode which have taught some of today's top chefs.
Jacques Pepin's New Complete Techniques.
https://smile.amazon.com/Jacques-Pépin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110
And don't get the Kindle version.
I’ll recommend three books that have upped my research as a home cook; The Professional Chef by CIA, Techniques by Jacques Pepin, and Ratio by Michael Ruhlman.
Of course there are hundreds of books but I often reference these in particular for education.
Here ya go
Got it for xmas, this is the first dish I've made from it, certainly not the last.
If you are interested in another book that really gets into the science and art of BBQ, I highly recommend Aaron Franklins book. I cooked a brisket after reading his book and right off the bat it was the best brisket I ever made by a mile and some of the best I've had period.
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200
Get the book Slow Cooker Revolution, by America's Test Kitchen. America's Test Kitchen runs a PBS cooking show, and they produce Cook's Illustrated magazine.
To produce this cookbook, at team of 10 chefs created a lab with 30 different slow cookers, and spent a year experimenting, testing, and judging recipes with them.
The work paid off.
In particular, try their "Bachelor Beef Stew". It's all lean beef and vegetables. If you make it according to their directions, you'll make a ton, and you'll be eating the leftovers for a week or two. They like to include little tricks or shortcuts, such as adding a bag of frozen french fries to the stew, instead of cooking potatoes. Those tips go a long way to get the most out your slow cooker.
The book has 200 recipes, and they'll be the tastiest meals you'll ever eat from a slow cooker.
maybe you're cooking too long? not enough spices and seasoning?
this book is super helpful in learning when to add certain things. for example, adding only half your onions in the beginning, and then rest toward the end. i don't have a microwave, but they pretty consistently suggest par cooking things in the microwave before adding them. but overall, i've learned that you really have to punch up the flavoring at the end with more seasoning.
I like Aaron Franklin's book. What's your budget?
I am the buddy! I finally found /u/buzcauldron's posts in the wild :)
I used Brad Parsons's Orange Bitters recipe from his book Bitters: https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595
If you search around, you can find a few bootleg blog posts floating around, but I highly recommend you get the book. Great resource.
People who asked in this thread:
/u/austinmiles
/u/sequoia_summers
Alton Brown
Appetite for Reduction is good
https://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498
I recently made some really fabulous Chili-Lime Rubbed Tofu (from Appetite for Reduction ) the other day. Here's the basic recipe for it. It calls for 1tsp of oil, which is all you'd need for the recipe. If you wanted to omit it, you probably could do so without too much trouble.
I served this with sauteed spinach (in garlic and a little lemon juice + water for sautee-- just a smidge), corn kernels, and slices of bell pepper all over some warm brown rice. You could also make it over quinoa and it would be delicious! The marinade in the tofu makes a bit extra after cooking, so you can probably pour it over the bowl and have it be a bit extra flavor. Or, you could top it off with Salsa Fresca (which should naturally have none of the things you're looking to avoid).
Now, that does make for a 1-bowl-per-person meal. I love it, but if you're looking to do something fancier, you certainly can.
These Raspberry Truffle Brownies have no fat. They also can be made using sucanat or another sweetener that isn't sugar. I'm familiar with an eating plan similar to your mom's, and generally the issue is added sugar (with the recognition that special events are special, and you can have an occasional treat).
If she can't have any added sugar, you may want to make some quick banana soft serve, since most "dessert" recipes-- even vegan ones, have generally some oil or some added sugar (maple syrup, agave, etc.). So if you can't do any sweeteners or any added oil, peel and freeze a few bananas. When you're ready to have your dessert, break them into pieces and toss them into the food processor with a bit of non-dairy milk, and a touch of vanilla extract. If you're feeling fancy, you might add peanut butter or cocoa powder. Whiz it together til you get a decent consistency. You may need to scrape the sides down a few times.
Good luck, and enjoy!
There are amazing directions on how to assemble the perfect "bowl" combos (1 grain, 1 bean, 1 veg + sauce) and lots of recipes and examples in this book, which I can only recommend. (The "Reduction" in the title is not just about losing weight; this doesn't have to be read as a dieting book, although it's possible to use it that way.) I love Isa's books because they don't use expensive, hard to find ingredients and the recipes always come out perfect.
Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz!
Lower calorie/fat recipes from the author of Isa Does It, Vegan With A Vengeance, and Veganomicon!
about 5 years ago, I was given a copy of the Art of Fermentation because I gave the author permission to use one of my photos. I've sort of been interested in fermentation ever since, but besides the odd batch of pickles and sauerkraut, hadn't done anything else. I decided to try my hand at making miso. I used Japanese soybeans, American made Koji, and Korean sea salt. Ended up with about 1 liter of miso packed away in a corner of my pantry. I'll see what it's like in 3 months.
I'll second this and additionally suggest learning how to ferment foods yourself, cause it's stupidly easy and super cheap. The Art Of Fermentation is a great book to help you get started if you want to understand how it works, but it's not necessary.
Usually I just make my own probiotic drinks by fermenting random fruits/herbs + ginger using probiotic pills (like S. Boulardii) as starter cultures, and 'feeding' it some soluble fibers. Not quite as simple as just taking a pill, but more likely to work effectively given there'll be a higher bacterial count in a glass of liquid than in a pill, and liquid helps the bacteria survive your stomach acid a bit more easily as well.
Your post inspired me to put up this awesome five ingredient tofu recipe over on r/veganrecipes. I'm calling it LPT: Life Pro Tofu as it's the best tofu recipe I've ever seen. The recipe comes from Miyoko Schinner's book and combines tofu with flax seed gel. The results are amazing; for me, truly mind-blowing. Thinking back, it's amazing how far I've come with good tools and recipes. Here's hoping you might gain some inspiration!
A date who can cook a vegan meal? You're going to impress the crap out of her! I'm excited. :-)
/r/veganrecipes
/r/vegangifrecipes
Hot For Food (YouTube)
Isa Chandra (my personal introduction to vegan cooking)
Hell Yeah It's Vegan (the pecan pie is my go-to Thanksgiving recipe)
Vegan Richa
Oh She Glows
The Minimalist Baker
It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken
Thug Kitchen
Vegan8
If you want to really up your vegan cooking game (pro chef level), this book is what you need. Shows you how to make vegan butter, cheeses, meats, etc from scratch. Includes everything from vegan oyster sauce to vegan white chocolate. Total game-changer.
My favs
Peace, Love, & Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies
and amazon knows me so well the others come up on the same page (for me at least)
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Smoke & Spice, Updated and Expanded 3rd Edition: Cooking With Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
I agree with the reading bit but I did too much reading on the internet and got overwhelmed with all the different advice. I wish I'd brought The Complete Joy of Homebrewing earlier. It's got all the information you need to get started extract brewing through till all grain.
You can't go wrong with two books, both of which are readily available on Amazon.
I'd start out with the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, and then move on to Designing Great Beers.
After that, I would recommend joining a local homebrew club, and there will be a big community to support you. And if you need yeast, come on down to Sixpoint with a clean mason jar and we can hook you up.
Let us know how it goes!
If there are red flags I'm doing in these pictures, please let me know.
edit:
1st batch: Craft-A-Brew APA Kit
2nd batch: Northern Brewer's 1 Gallon Bavarian Hefe Kit
3rd batch: DrinkinSurfer's Milk Oatmeal Stout Recipe @HBT
If I could start over I would go straight to the 3-gallon batches. I hovered around them but I think it's the perfect batch size for beginners -- 1) Most people have a stockpot lying around the kitchen big enough to hold three gallons, 2) The batches are small enough so you don't have to drink two cases of bad brew, but big enough so if you enjoy it [which I'm thoroughly enjoying my first APA], you'll have plenty to taste and rate the evolution of the flavors over various weeks of priming and give out to family friends who are interested to try out what you made, 3) I ordered 3 Gallon Better Bottles for several reasons including worrying about shattering a glass carboy as a newbie. They also qualify for free shipping on MoreBeer's website with purchases above a certain price. 4) Even though I brewed a 5 gallon batch, and since I'm brewing solo, I'm already not looking forward to bottling the whole batch at once so I plan on breaking up bottling between two days.
For resources, I lurk this sub like a crazy stalker. The Daily Q&A is full of information both crucial and minute. I listen to James Spencer's Basic Brewing Radio podcast and practically substituted it for all music recently. It's family friendly and entertaining [I heard the other podcasts aren't so much]. I read Charles Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing, 2nd ed. and For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus to get a better understanding of the hops varieties and characteristics. I plan on reading John Palmer's How to Brew and Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers in the future, as well as Brew Like a Monk. Also, the HomeBrewTalk stickies in the forums provide good picture tutorials for several different styles of brewing.
I got into homebrewing so I can brew the, then, only beer style I liked: Imperial Stouts. But as I learned more about the balance and flavors of beer I surprised myself by branching out to enjoying other beers [even the odd IPA every so often]. My narrow scope of beer has broadened more vast that I ever would've imagined it. My brother got me this beer tasting tool kit used for blind taste tests so I try to keep good records and actively taste and appreciate craft beers. I even keep a couple in my wallet for tasting beers on draft.
I really wish I had an immersion wort chiller, a bigger boil kettle, a mash tun, and a propane burner. Those few equipment pieces hinder me from exploring more advanced style of homebrew. I intend to upgrade to all-grain but making the switch is really expensive. I'm still in the look-to-see-what-I-have-lying-around-the-house phase equipment-wise.
Which leads me to: don't be scared to spend money while DIY-ing. Many of you have probably seen my (and many others', most likely) shitty stir plate. DIY should be a balance of doing things on the cheap, but still making it work and function well. There's no point in DIYing if you're not going to be happy with it and just end up buying the commercial equivalent anyway. That's where I am right now.. I'm currently trying to salvage a cooler [no-spigot] I found in my garage and turn it into a mash tun instead of just buying a new cooler with a plastic, removable spigot. I'm certain it would make DIY easier but slightly more expensive.
But the suckiest thing for me about homebrewing is that I don't have a car so getting local, fresh ingredients and supporting my LHBSs is a piece of PITA bread.
The last Isa book was full colored and delicious.
But you are mostly just going to have to tough it out.
Isa Does It
High-five! I've been vegetarian for six years now, with occasional forays into veganism. I went from shitty cook to awesome cook, and learned that previously-weird things like beets and artichokes are fantastic. This book has been the basis for a lot of my weeknight meals lately.
Thank you for the shoutout.
/u/StanMikitasDonuts should start out with some light reading. Get yourself Charcuterie, by Ruhlman and Polcyn, In the Charcuterie by Boetticher and Miller, and maybe a simple recipe book like Cured by Charles Wekselbaum. That will give you a really strong foundation of recipes to work with.
Most people will start off making Duck Breast Prosciutto (Prosciutto D'Anatra) because it requires only duck breast, salt, and 7-10 days of waiting... and does not require a curing chamber. Beyond that, bacon is a popular and fairly foolproof early project. Fresh and hot-smoked sausages are a good foray into charcuterie as well.
Once you get into whole muscle curing (like OP's pork loin idea) and fermented sausages like salamis, et al, you start needing to account for more ingredients, more processes, and more equipment. A curing chamber is essential for anything that is going to hang for long periods of time. You'll need lacto cultures and mold starters. None of it is difficult or particularly expensive (especially compared to buying these products retail)... but it does become a more immersive hobby once you've got appliances dedicated to making meat logs.
Consider Meathead's (from Amazingribs.com) book.
https://www.amazon.com/Meathead-Science-Great-Barbecue-Grilling/dp/054401846X
I got it for Christmas and it does a good job of explaining things in a simple, straightforward and organized manner.
Book.
Site.
My go to place for Indian recipes has become Manjula's Kitchen. That lady is like the Indian grandmother I never had. Here's a few noteworth recipes:
Paneer, this homemade cheese is really, realy easy to make and used for a lot of stuff.
Palak Paneer: Very quick and easy diesh that is very good.
Achari Paneer, I know, more paneer, but it is good stuff.
The spices in most of Manjulla's recipes are pretty basic, too. With the exception of asafetida you can find everything else easily at a local big box store.
If you would prefer a cook book, 660 Curries is also a great way to get started.
This recipe comes from the EXCELLENT (and very large!) cookbook, "660 Curries" by Raghavan Iyer. I got it this past Christmas and have been trying new recipes out almost every week. It's not a vegetarian/vegan cookbook, and has plenty of non-veg recipes... but wow, there are a TON of veggie ones. Like hundreds of pages. It's been a really great resource, and tons of fun/very instructive to work through. This recipe has become a regular in our rotation, because it's such a delicious way to pack in the veggies. We've been using sweet potato/cabbage/carrot (and we use vegetable oil instead of ghee), but I'm looking to switch it up for spring next time we make it.
Edit: Sorry, I don't think I'll be able to put up a recipe format before it's removed. I have tendinitis in both my hands atm and it hurt a ton to type up the above paragraph - I will edit it tomorrow morning after they've had a day to rest.
660 Curries is a great way to learn about the various spices and ingredients used in Indian cuisine, as well as common spice blends (masalas) that are used. Iyer breaks them down in a really great conversational way that makes complex recipes much more approachable.
Designing Great Beers
Water
Hops
Malt
Yeast
Like most water reports, that one lacks most of the brewing-specific pertinent info. Call or email your provider and they'll give you the complete report.
Taste is FAR more important than content, IMO. Make sure you enjoy drinking the water out of the tap before you brew with it. I personally HATE my local water, so I get the filtered dispenser water at my grocery store. For hoppy beers, I add 2-4g of gypsum(/5gal), for non-hoppy beers I add the same amount of CaCl. Either way, the yeast need Calcium. I like to keep it simple, unless I know I want a specific mineral profile for a beer style.
Generally on water:
Palmer does a great job setting the foundation. http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter4.html
If you really have not read anything yet, this is an excellent place to start (you will likely be told a lot of conflicting info on this topic, which would be confusing even IF most people used a common vocabulary, which is of course not the case).
The "Water" addition to the Brewing Elements series is pretty new, so the stuff discussed in there won't be common knowledge most likely. http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1383162459&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=water+book
That one is next on my list, "Yeast" was the best brewing book I've read since "Brewing Better Beer."
Cheers!
Don't listen to most of the exchanges here on /r/paleo - you get a lot of opinions from the users, not necessarily based on the science behind the lifestyle. Read the book, do the research, and see what works for you. It isn't supposed to be a strict diet, but a lifestyle based on clean eating and long-term life change. I'll eat cottage cheese every once in a while, because I can eat it and feel fine, and I maintain a baseline of health. My wife doesn't eat it because it makes her sick. Listen to your body, and use your brain.
Manifold Destiny
Go pick up the book 12 Bottle Bar by the Solmonson's, work your way through that, then pick up The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and work your way through that. Then if you want to get all crazy on recipes get the PDT app on your iPhone or pick up the PDT or Death and Co books if you don't have an iPhone. Then if you want to get crazy with techniques... Pick up Liquid Intelligence
Brand suggestions?
Bourbon - Old Granddad or Buffalo Trace
Scotch - Famous Grouse Blended and Laphroaig 10
Irish Whiskey - Bushmills
Brandy - Paul Masson VSOP
Cognac - Jacques Cardin VSOP Cognac
Vodka - Tito's
Gin - Aviation/New Amsterdam and Tanqueray
Tequila - All the Espolon stuff for Blanco, Reposado, Anejo
Mezcal - Del Maguey Vida
Rum - Flor De Cana 4 year+Plantation 5 year+Myers (people may scoff at Myers, but it's a signature style in a way, good for the price too)
Vermouth - Dolin Dry Vermouth and Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Keep them in the fridge after opening!)
Bitters - Angostura, Regan's Orange bitters
Others - Campari, St. Germain, Benedictine, Pernod Pastis, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Non-alcoholic - Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, Fever Tree Tonic Water, Fever Tree Seltzer, Eggs, Cream, Orange Blossom Water
Watch small screen network's videos, read jeffrey morgenthaler's blog, and keep an open mind.
Don't know if I missed anything.
A Bar Above is pretty good, their podcast is good as well.
Morgenthaler's Blog, his Playboy stuff and his Food Republic stuff is worth checking out (as is his book. Go buy his book.)
Weirdly for some but Jamie Oliver's Drinks Tube can be a good resource, better than almost all drinks videos out there and a decent range of stuff. It's meant for the 'home bartender' but there's plenty there to learn, once you sift through the Bacardi product placement.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
And Ad Hoc by Thomas Keller.
If she really wants that master chef vibe I recommend Buchon and The French Laundry.
It sounds as if you are a novice? If you are and you are looking for books as your guide I suggest anything Jaques Pepin produces like this.
Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques
https://www.amazon.com/Jacques-Pépin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1520771297&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=jaque+pepin+cookbooks
Jacques Pépin is a masterful teacher. There are also youtube videos and TV shows that would add to anything you get from his books. I highly encourage you to seek them out.
Beyond that, if you are looking for more a narrative form and you are more than a novice, consider:
Simple French Food by Richard Olney
Thats just a start, I'm sure there are many others that deserve consideration. In my experience Jacques Pépin; however, is one of the most approachable of the masters and I have a long-standing admiration of him, so my opinion is likely biased.
edit: a letter
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1382547648&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=water+palmer
This is my full list of books from /r/homebrewing but it includes pro level books:
New Brewers:
Continued Learning:
Specialty/Advanced/Other:
Business Books:
Technical Readings (Textbooks might be expensive):
This is correct. The calcium in your water and the added calcium from calcium sulfate (gypsum) reacts with phosphate in the malt to precipitate calcium phosphate, which releases protons that react with dissolved carbonates to create water and CO2, which reduces the alkalinity and lowers the pH. Not to mention this is all a function of malt color (darker malts are more effective at lowering pH, ceteris parabus)
Blindly adding gypsum while testing pH will get you nowhere if you don't know where you are starting from. Go here or anywhere else that will test your water and learn what you've got coming out of the faucet.
Then go here and learn what it's all about. There a useful excel sheet, instructions on how to use it, and the science behind it. You get your head around this and your next move is this book Get through all that, and not only will you understand what is happening, but you'll improve your efficiency and flavor profile by default. Knowledge is power brother.
http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-Borzoi/dp/0307272702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1299642695&amp;sr=8-1
I really liked this book for explaining exactly why low-carb works and why eating lots of fat is healthy
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1299642745&amp;sr=1-1
This book is really good for applying what Taubes says to your life and has a nice plan.
It is normal to have your appetite spike after exertion, but it sounds like you're just not fueling yourself correctly. Governing your weight is determined by roughly 80% of intake (your diet*) versus what your exercises regimen is. Meaning, it pretty much comes down to what you’re putting into your body, not the exercise(s) itself.
That said, you may want to focus your efforts into finding something that works for you (we’re all little snowflakes, there is no silver bullet when it comes to nutrition*). You might try looking into a paleo-type system; as they make the rules fairly simple to follow and you still get to eat a lot of hearty, protein-packed, nourishing meals.
Keep moving, keep eating, take notes about how you look, feel, & your performance, and make adjustments accordingly.
The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982565844/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_HlbKub1RY2NX3 - gives you the "why" so the "how" comes naturally.
Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936608758/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_LmbKub0PJBYV7 - If you're not already a wizard in the kitchen, this book helps make your food taste less shitty with good wholesome ingredients.
Good luck!
I second what spoolingthreads has said. My experience is n=1, in the US, and anecdotal, but is consistent with what he says. My story:
I had problems with back pain for about 10 years and nothing good came of it when I went through regular doctors: "oh it's muscle pain, here's some (useless) naproxen", insurance only covered 4 visits to physiotherapy, did the stretches they taught faithfully for years, but they didn't seem to help (several extreme increases of pain that lasted for months happened while doing those stretches).
Finally, after it had gotten so bad I was using a walker at the age of 35, I went to a physical herapist instead of a doctor. I had to pay full price because I had no diagnosis or referral, but it was totally worth it. The doctors never did any serious physical assessment. The physical therapist did, could tell it was serious, and referred me to an excellent doctor who was a physiatrist (had never heard of that specialty before).
He ordered an MRI, found two bulging disks smashing the L4-L5 and L5-S1 nerves, and I finally got useful care (celebrex, cortisone shots, months of 2x/wk physical therapy).
Later I learned about two other important things that doctors don't consider that were important for me, and may also be relevant to your mom's situation:
I wish you and your mother well, and hope you get the break you need. My mom got in a similar situation: the VA wrote her off and treated her as if her pain wasn't real, nowhere else to go. She only got real help after OD-ing on the useless pain killers they gave her and ending up in a non-VA hospital in a coma for 8 days. I appreciate what you're going through, and hope you have some support too. Take care.
TL;DR: trigger point massage and non-inflammatory diet may also help
Buy these two:
http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1334558891&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Solution-Original-Human/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1334558900&amp;sr=1-1
Are either NECESSARY for these goals? No. But I'm a believer in no-brainer approaches, and basic strength training + paleo-ish diet will move you in the right direction.
If you would like to learn about the science behind cooking and a lot of neat pictures to learn just about everything about cooking I would recommend Modernist Cuisine. You can probably pick up a copy of the whole set for pretty cheap used. It covers pretty much everything you can imagine.
http://modernistcuisine.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Home-Nathan-Myhrvold/dp/0982761015
Also, I would mention that Modernist Cuisine at Home is an awesome book. It has some awesome recipes and the techniques they use have helped me in other areas of my cooking.
Also, does your husband have a sous vide? If not, I would ABSOLUTELY start with a sous vide. It's not as gimmicky as some of the other molecular gastronomy things and it has so many applications that it will become a staple in his kitchen as it has mine. I personally love the Anova Sous Vide, I have two of them. If you want to find out more about sous vide (used by Heston at Fat Duck and Thomas Keller at the French Laundry) check out /r/sousvide. Lots of great ideas and techniques just in that sub alone. Hit me up if you have any more questions.
http://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1253299394&amp;sr=8-1
Manifold Destiny... how to cook on the engine of your car.
I expect that this is not exclusive to dead heads, I'm sure there are some Phish fans that do this, and I'm sure there are some people who live out of their cars that do it too... But I respect your decision to turn away hot chocolate cooked on an engine.
You should write a sequel to Manifold Destiny.
My friends dad actually wrote a full size book on this subject. Manifold Destiny
https://www.amazon.ca/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X
The Bar Book by Morgenthaler.
Book-wise, I'd recommend picking up the Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler. It's pretty easy to find recipes online and there's no shortage of great classic and craft cocktail books, but the bar book covers techniques that would otherwise take a lot of time and experience to pick up.
I am 100% all for the pursuit of knowledge behind the bar. I believe it's a great way to show initiative to get behind a craft bar, elevate your cocktail game, and just to learn something cool. Feel free to message me if you have questions on where to get started, what to do after you've read some of these books, what to expect when you're working your way up, etc. I'd be more than happy to lend some helpful advice!
Here are some of the books I'd recommend:
"The Bar Book" by Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I'd start here if you're interested in and are brand new to craft cocktails. Morgenthaler's Bar Book is threaded with great insight on what and why certain techniques are used behind the bar and is riddled with beautiful photography.
"Imbibe!" by Dave Wondrich
Hands down, the first book you should read if you want to get into the lore behind craft drinks. It opens up with the story of our great forefather, Jeffrey Thomas, and then continues to discuss the various eras of bartending and what they represent, as well as the drinks within those eras.
"Craft Cocktails at Home" by Kevin Liu
If Bar Book is your high school Geometry, Liu's, "Craftcocktails at Home" is your college Linear Algebra class. Provides you with hard science on what exactly going on in the glass if we shake VS stir or the happenings in an egg-based drink. Awesome read.
"How's Your Drink" by Eric Felten
Felten runs through history and entertains with stories behind some of the biggest drinks in cocktails. Did you know the Vesper (a vodka/gin Martini hybrid of sorts) was created in a Jame's Bond book and was named after the sultry villain? That President Theodore Roosevelt loved himself a good mint julep and even had his own mint bed to supply himself plenty when he wanted one? Fun read.
"Drunken Botanist" by Amy Stewart
Alcohol is derived from things. This is the best book that talks about those things. Agave, Juniper, Barley, Cinchona Bark. Understand the drink from a Botanist's point of view.
"Bitters" by Brad Thomas Parsons
Bitters are an incredible way to add both aromatics and flavor into a cocktail. This book will help you not only understand what they are and what they do, but will kickstart your own bitter brewing process if desired. Homemade Orange Bitters kick ass.
Barsmarts
Last but not least, Barsmarts is a great online tool to help rundown the basis of what we with cocktails. It goes through the various spirits, a brief look at cocktail history, and even has a "drink builder". Definitely worth the $30.
I don't really have any specific rules, per say, other than drink what you like. If you read enough around here, you'll notice that vodka doesn't exactly get put up on a pedestal by many. I personally find I use gin in almost any situation that calls for vodka so I don't really sweat which brand I have in the house (currently Tito's).
As for tequila, it's not so much about avoiding gold tequila (my house tequila is the lunazul reposado which is a gold tequila), it's making sure that you're using a quality 100% de agave tequila. Most brands that produce tequila this way will let you know somewhere on the label, but brands like espolon, lunazul, milagro are all safe bets. Otherwise, they're making the tequila from some percentage neutral grain spirit (typically distilled beet sugar) and adding tequila flavoring.
Read around here and on specific spirit subreddits to get further recommendations. I also recommend picking up a beginners cocktail book to give you an idea of which elements of your bar to stock first and prioritize what to buy later. 12 Bottle Bar focuses on what bottles to buy to make an array of classics. Bar Book is more focused on helping shape your technique and palate.
https://www.amazon.ca/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=the+bar+book&amp;qid=1571369884&amp;sprefix=the+bar+&amp;sr=8-1
The Bar Book is a great book.
My grandma recently gave me an old Chef Paul Prudhomme cookbook from the 80's that is great. I'm a huge gumbo fan and I think there's like 5 separate recipes in there just for that, with different variations for chicken/sausage, seafood, duck, etc.
But, what I really came here to say is there's a newish book called Salt Fat Acid Heat that isn't directly tied to cajun food, but is excellent at explaining the science of food and why things are delicious. I like this instead of a cookbook that just gives you a list of ingredients and specific steps to follow, with no reasoning for why you're doing each of the steps. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830... there's also a Netflix special that has the same title that's good as an appetizer to the book if you're interested.
Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat has a handy flavor wheel chart that explains flavors by nationality. It's pretty handy, I actually photocopied mine and hung it on my kitchen wall. The rest of the book is super interesting too, definitely worth purchasing.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a great cookbook as well- like Brown's stuff, it teaches you the why's of cooking, and how to improvise with whatever you have on hand:
https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
Well explained the why's of using each element. Very well organized and good recipes to try. Uses basic ingredients too, so won't break your budget.
amzn link
I'd definitely recommend Samin's book Salt Fat Acid Heat! Rather than just recipes, it teaches you the fundamentals of recipe creation and cooking. Kenji's The Food Lab is also an awesome contribution.
> So whats yalls opinion? slapchop? food processor? other?
A chef's knife is the right tool for the job.
This book has all the info you need.
If you're looking for basics, it's hard to beat Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything The Basics.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060
It's exactly what you're looking for. It covers the basics of cooking, with 1,000+ photos.
Another go-to recommendation is Jacque Pepin's New Complete Techniques, a fantastic 2012 update of his epic masterpieces La Technique and La Methode, with 1000 new photos.
http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-P%C3%A9pin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110
Both books are great. I prefer Pepin's book since it's based solely on classic French technique, but Bittman's book would be better for an absolute beginner.
His book is all anyone needs.
I use the recipes in this book, and I quarter the amounts. Some of the ingredients are already in small amounts (like 1/4 tsp) so I just eyeball those.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580083595/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_h6.5ybAM2MS49
As for the alcohol, I'm sure you can find some kind of high percentage neutral spirits in Canada. I would try calling some liquor stores or speciality liquor stores and ask for neutral spirits or grain alcohol. But if that fails just stick with the strongest vodka you can find.
I got the recipe from this book. The hardest part was finding all the ingredients. I had to order cinchona bark online after trying 5 different stores, including two stores that specialize in herbs only. For the bottles, I ordered these.
> They too have the fresh cut fries. Delicious, delicious heart attack bait right there.
Well, if Alton Brown is to be believed, those kind of fries are actually healthier than mainstream, McFried fare. Properly cooked, thick cut fries, absorb less cooking oil per ounce than the slim ones do. (Especially if the oil pull out is timed correctly, which is more likely at a mom & pop or small chain than the conglomerated, undertraining places most people eat fried food at any more...)
This is how I did it a few years ago.
Read alton brown's book, I'm just here for the food
http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Cooking/dp/1584790830
Which will teach you the basics and what you're trying to accomplish by using different cooking methods. It greatly increased my confidence in the kitchen. Also check out his good eats series.
Also I think a decent meat thermometer
Is a great purchase as it takes the guess work out of when meat is done cooking, is supremely useful for beginners, and something you'll be able to use forever.
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/
The thermapen is the one I got but expensive but worth it.
Subscribe to a bunch of cooking subreddits.
And I'm gonna suggest something different now instead of buying a set list of things you need to cook anything.
Instead, I suggest finding something you really enjoy eating like something you're an expert on eating at restaurants, I chose burgers, you can do pizza, or spaghetti, hot wings whatever. Then go on seriouseats.com and find the appropriate recipe. Idea is to choose something you have an idea of how it's supposed to taste and like enough to cook a few different versions of. Then you buy the few things you need to cook that thing. A cast iron pot, a metal spatula whatever. And you learn how to do things/buy equipment as needed for various recipes related to it. For example you may learn how to sautée and Carmelize onions for a burger recipe.
Cook with someone else, it's way more fun, is a great date idea, doesn't matter if it's the blind leading the blind or someone that you can learn a lot from. It'll make you more comfortable in the kitchen.
Finally, you'll have to pay your dues for a little bit, I used to hate cooking, everything takes way longer then it should, you make a big mess, things don't work out like you planned, but pretty soon you make things that turn out great every once in a while. You still mess up occasionally, but you'll start learning why things don't turn out well and you'll start being able to save things if you make a mistake. Now that I'm pretty good at it I sort of enjoy it.
Probably the cheapest and healthiest cooking is a high heat saute of vegetables and a protein. Buy a Lodge 10-12" cast iron pan, a sharp knife and cutting board, and a good cooking oil and you will be good to go.
Cut up most veggies into small bite sized bits and toss in a pre-heated pan with less than a Tbs of oil. Make sure to season with a bit of iodized salt and don't stir too often.
But yeah, like /u/Khatib said, check out Alton Brown's book I'm Just Here for the Food. It will explain the techniques of cooking with heat. Master the Saute and you are all set!
Alton Brown: I'm Just Here for the Food. I read it cover to cover like I would any other book.
http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Cooking/dp/1584790830
I've got a copy of the Larousse Gastronomique, it's amazing.
Probably this
Maybe Forks over Knives: The Cookbook or Appetite for Reduction. They both have an emphasis on healthy vegan cooking.
A few things that might help you:
Check out appetite for reduction. It's a Vegan cookbook for losing weight so it has some good low carb options.
A lot of Japanese food is actually low in carbs if you skip the rice, try out something like Tofu Nimono.
Try swapping your rice for quinoa, it's basically like rice, but it has more protein so you don't have to eat as much.
I personally like filling up on greens to instead of filling up on carbs.
Recipe modified from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction. Nutritional Information is as follows (per 1/4 cup serving)
I like this cookbook a lot - it's got a healthy/low-calorie focus and everything I've cooked out of it has been great (AND no/minimal "specialty" foods - some good quinoa recipes though)! Yes, it's vegan, but adding meat would be easy if you and your family prefer. I am personally not vegan, but I like vegan cookbooks a lot because they tend to showcase creativity with vegetables and whole grains.
Also, I'm going to stress this from forgot_my_password99 again:
>Cannot stress this enough, vegetables and more vegetables.
There are tons of ways to prepare vegetables other than just steaming them (though that's great too!), and maybe adding a bit of butter/pork/etc is a good way to 'baby step' into eating more vegetables!
Also: if your family is open to it, explore different ethnic cuisines! For example, Thai style curries or stir fries (easy with frozen stir fry vegetable mix, Thai curry paste, optional coconut milk, and tofu or chicken) are easy and vegetables are an integral part of the dish.
I can't stop recommending this: http://www.foodmatters.com/recipe/lemon-bliss-balls-recipe
Been going through this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/1600940498/
and chosen some tacos and a spinach stew for next week. I will report back as I make them.
For anyone interested in going further with fermentation experiments, I would humbly like to recommend Sandor Katz's The Art of Fermentation. Both his recipes and the philosophy behind what he does are excellent. When the zombie apocalypse comes and there's no more refrigeration and community relationships are twisted and desperate, you'll be glad you own this book.
I recently got Tartine #3 when it was posted here for 5$ a few weeks ago. In it there is a recipe for Oat Porridge bread, this website has the recipe basically. I also have Sandor Katz' The Art of Fermentation, and it in it is a technique for making a fermented oatmeal, where you basically just do a 2:1 ratio (or more if you like a thinner porridge) of rolled oats to water and let it sit out over night or longer. Its good, you get a tangy taste to the oats and I find it to get a really creamy texture. So what I did was combine the two. I took the suggested amount of oats and water for the porridge bread in Tartine, then just left it out for a week, stirring once a day. By the time I did the bread it smelled reallllly great, very yeasty and sour. I blackslopped some of it into the initial dough of the bread, then cooked and incorporated it as per instructions.
Came out well, but I used a little bit more water than suggested in the porridge and so I probably should have added a bit more flour into the dough. As I said, it stuck to the banneton and deflated a lot, so it ended up more of a disk than a boule, but even so, I got a good bit of oven spring. Taste wise, the bread was very good. Well soured, and very hearty with all the oats in it. As they mention in the recipe, the crumb is super tender, and this bread holds up very well, I was eating it 5 days later and it still felt just as fresh as when I first made it, barring a bit if dryness where the cut was. Really an excellent loaf, just kind of hard to work with and very easy to over hydrate if you aren't careful.
Hi! I'm the resident SCD whack-a-loon!
No secret handshake; it either works or it doesn't. Some data to suggest its utility:
>RESULTS: All 20 patients demonstrated a decrease in symptoms and reduction in medication use. Six patients have entered complete clinical remission, discontinued all medication, and maintained remission for five to 80 months. The most rapid response in this category belongs to a 28 year old male who presented with daily fevers of 40 degrees C, bloody diarrhea six times per day, a serum albumen of 2.6 g/dl, ESR of 90 and oxalic acid excretion of 164mg per day, despite the use of azathioprine 100 mg per day and prednisone 40mg per day. This patient achieved complete clinical and laboratory remission during the first 60 days and has maintained remission for three years. For the remaining 14 patients, reduction in symptoms scores were from 90 percent to 40percent (mean reduction of 65 percent). Mean prednisone dose (6 patients) decreased from 17 mg to 5 mg, mean dose of azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine (3patients) decreased from 100 mg per day to 33 mg per day, mean dose of5-aminosalicylate preparations was reduced by 33 percent, mean ESR decreased from 66 to 32, mean serum albumen increased from 3.2 g/dl to 4.1 g/dl and mean intestinal permeability index (differential lactulose/mannitol absorption) decreased from 0.275 to 0.074. Eleven patients responded to the initial SCDand nine proceeded to other dietary interventions. All nine returned non-glutenous starches to their diets. Yeast illumination was the diet of choice for five, complete milk limitation for five, and elimination of nuts for four. Sixteen patients received fish oil supplements, 9 received glutamine and MPS supplements.
Similarly, there's a new pediatric study out- still only E-pub ahead of print.
>Seven children with Crohn's on the SCD™ and on no immunosuppressive medications were retrospectively evaluated. Duration of the dietary therapy ranged from five months to thirty months, with an average of 14.6 ± 10.8 months. Although the exact time of symptom resolution could not be determined through chart review, all symptoms were notably resolved at a routine clinic visit three months after initiating the diet. Each patient's laboratory indices, including serum albumin, C - reactive protein, hematocrit and stool calprotectin, either normalized or significantly improved during follow-up clinic visits. This chart review suggests that the SCD™ and other low complex carbohydrate diets may be possible therapeutic options for pediatric Crohn's disease. Further prospective studies are required to fully assess the safety and efficacy of the SCD™, or any other low complex specific carbohydrate diets in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease.
I personally favor a low-carb diet with lots of SCD-type yogurt. See also Lutz's "Life Without Bread," including the chapter with charts on its efficacy in managing colitis.
That said, plenty of books are out there with suggestions as to how to use diet as a complementary approach to managing IBD; I have heard good things about Hunter's "Inflammatory Bowel Disease," but have yet to read it. Similarly, there are a handful of "Paleo" diet books, all of which exclude grains much like Gottschall's SCD. I would opine that fermented foods would be good to add to any IBD diet, and Katz's Art of Fermentation would be another useful reference.
There are also vegetarian/vegan approaches, about which I know much less.
As of December, I'll have been on 100% diet-controlled Crohn's (biopsy-confirmed) for 6 years with no meds. No symptoms, blood panels and fecal calprotectin are all well within norms.
Miyoko Schinner's Homemade Vegan Pantry includes recipes for fancy vegan cheese that may be exactly to your liking. My boyfriend has a cashew allergy so I have not tried making them myself, but everything I have tried so far has been great!
Don’t cry, old habits can be challenging to break, but you’re doing a good thing; and these will help:
This blog gives so much to work with...
https://simple-veganista.com/
For books...
http://www.theppk.com/books/veganomicon-the-ultimate-vegan-cookbook/
https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778
Miyoko wrote a book on how to make your own staples. Cheese and butter are both in there: https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778
The Homemade Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner: http://www.amazon.com/The-Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Staples/dp/1607746778
Vegan, not vegetarian, but there are some amazing recipes for really basic staples in there, like condiments, cheese, milk, stocks and broths, meat substitutes, pasta, breads, crackers, and a few simple desserts. There are also some recipes that build on others, like certain soups and stews, or using leftovers and scraps of one recipe to make something new. It's a beautiful book and everything I've made from it so far has been pretty simple and has tasted wonderful. And it's under $15 on Amazon for the hardcover physical version! I highly recommend it!
I highly recommend the recipe for unpork from Miyoko Schinner's 'The Homemade Vegan Pantry'
By far the best results I've gotten from any recipe I've tried.
If you can get your hands on a copy of the book, it's by far the best IMO, when it comes to vegan staples.
Totally! He got me Street Vegan and The Homemade Vegan Pantry
That’s awesome. Glad you have a good solution, sounds like a rad store! Sort of related- If you haven’t ever made your own yogurt, I strongly recommend it, it blows the store bought stuff away. I usually use Westsoy Original soy milk, normally I like unsweetened but the fermentation cultures like the sugar so I get the original. One of these days very soon, I will try the feta recipe from that book...
You may eventually want to check out Miyoko’s “Homemade Vegan Pantry” cookbook. it came out pretty recently and the recipes seem a little updated, not as many in depth recipes on specific types of cheese but the recipes I’ve used out of there have been stellar and I find that I reach for it more often than the Artisan Cheese book. It really depends on what you’re into making. She includes the recipe for her cultured butter and the ice cream recipe is also perfect.
Video: https://youtu.be/VmTzdMHu5KU
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
I've been on the BBQ train for some time now. As a New Orleans native living in Michigan, it's hard to find good smoked meats up here, so you end up having to do it for yourself. And every time we throw a shindig, that's really all that gets requested.
My suggestions are as follows:
Franklin Barbecue
I love this book. It's not a recipe book, although it has a few basic ones in the back. He tells the story of how he came to BBQ, and then breaks down each individual aspect of BBQ process. You'll learn a lot.
Herbs and Spices
This book is really more fun than anything else. It's essentially wikipedia for herbs and spices, but there's so much in it that you can always come back and find something new.
The best advice I can give you is to never stop trying something new. When I first got in to BBQ/Grilling, I went to Amazon and bought a mess-load of books for $1-2 a piece about the basics, recipes, processes, and ideologies. Bobby Flay was my first read. I've strayed away from him now that I have my own style. And that's a phrase you'll here a lot among people. "Style". I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just light a fire and put some meat on it. Worst case scenario. You've got cooked meat.
Try smoking a Turkey with a Cajun rub (that you make, don't use prepackaged Cajun rubs) over hickory or apple wood. Patience and eventually it'll all be second nature too you.
Welcome to the game.
I've been searching for these sorts of recipes recently too. So far my favourite i've tried from reddit is this Afghan Chickpea Recipe (ignore the unappetizing photo, it tastes much better than it looks).
Apart from that the most success i've had is from the America Test Kitchen Slow Cooker books which aren't focused on veg recipes but they have a bunch in there, and i can pretty much count on them being quality. Here's the ones i use:
The recipes i've tried are the Turkish Eggplant Casserole, Spanish Lentil Stew, and Veg Indian Curry, all pretty tasty.
this is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699
some of the stuff in it is pretty complicated, but it has lots of good recipes. the white chicken chili is my go-to
Aaron Franklin's BBQ Book comes out real soon (a month).
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1425653044&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=aaron+franklin
Yes, someone asked that in the comments and he responded.
There is a really good slow cooker sauce in here: http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699 that is very similar to his that I do every few months.
Tuna cakes, kale salad, and maybe mashed potatoes if I am super hungry.
My favorite slow cooker recipe is Kalua Pig, especially now that I've figured out that the pork shoulders I've been buying only need to cook for 12 hours instead of the prescribed 16.
I'm headed out the door but I have tons more suggestions and I'll add them here later.ETA more slow cooker things:
If you're in the market for cookbooks, we've had success with Slow Cooker Revolution (make the Moroccan chicken and chickpeas!) and Nom Nom Paleo (make the pho broth overnight, stash it in the fridge during work, defat and reheat for dinner). I'm not sure why so much of my slow cooker recipes are paleo, but whatever, they're awesome.
I don't really think it's cheating if it isn't the major component of the recipe's flavor profile.
If you're looking for great slow-cooker/crock-pot recipes, Slow Cooker Revolution by America's Test Kitchen is amazing. They use chicken and beef broth a bit, but that's not much different from using stock in a recipe. I suppose you could do it from scratch and make your own stock if it bothers you. Every dish I've made from that cookbook has turned out fantastic. There may be a little bit of prep work (sautéing, searing, or microwaving mostly) at the beginning or end of the prep but it is definitely worth it. The Bachelor Beef Stew only requires a bit of microwaving and is absolutely amazing.
All the LHBS staff in my area swear by The Complete Joy of Homebrewing: Fourth Edition by Charlie Papazian.
I’d recommend it as a good read but with a few caveats. Some of the advice is a little outdated compared to methods that homebrewers are using these days, for instance, I haven’t seen a single mention of brew-in-a-bag in the advanced chapter of the book. The author also regularly plugs his other book intended for a more advanced audience. I don’t find this too egregious because the quality of the information he provides is sufficient for a beginner IMO, but if you really want to know everything the author knows/thinks about a certain topic, you essentially need two books.
There are also a few things I like about this book. First off, the history of beer and brewing is covered to an extent, and I found that to be a great read. Secondly, there are some pretty good charts and reference tables that you can use as a guide if/when you start thinking about developing your own recipes. Also, on the topic of recipes, the author provides a selection of 45 recipes to get you started (in my experience, your LHBS will also have some recipe sheets available most likely). Finally, the author also cracks dad jokes routinely, so you’ll get a chuckle every once in a while to break up the information overload.
Overall, my opinion on this book is that it’s a great entry to homebrewing, but it shouldn’t be the only resource you use.
Microbrewed Adventures by Charlie P. is a great read. The idea is basically he pairs homebrew recipes to stories about his adventures discovering new beers.
Edit: Also, it's a great companion to his more famous The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is good. I would say just do it. Get a good kit and try and find someone to guide you along. Then keep reading all you can about brewing. Blogs, books, go to a homebrew store. Don't be afraid to ask for advice. Brewers are like guys with big dicks; they love to show off.
You obviously have more than enough individual suggestions already, so I'll just recommend three books instead in case you're a cookbook collector like me!
I'm also an omnivorous meat-eater but I'm happy to endorse these excellent, full-on vegan cookbooks by Isa Chandra Moskowitz:
Veganomicon. This is one of those comprehensive, encyclopedic things that could be—if you were a vegan—the only cookbook you own. It just covers everything, and I've never made anything from it that wasn't great. It's a manageable 336 pages, but they're dense; it's a book where every page has two or three recipes, not one where every dish gets a photo. Highly recommended.
Isa Does It. So this is like the sandwich-shop version of Veganomicon. Isa Does It (get it?) is vegan on easy-mode: here are sloppy joes and mac and cheese and, generally, all the casual vegan meals you could ever eat. Vegans over at /r/mealprepsundays should mass-produce burger patties from it. Not recommended quite as highly, but highly recommended for what it is.
Isa is just a really good cook, so her flavors and vegetable & grain choices have always been on point for me. My favorite thing about her writing, and what keeps me coming back to her as a meat-eater, is that she's never interested in creating meat substitutes. The vegetables are the point, after all, so she's making dishes where the vegetables are the showstopper. When she makes a burger it always feels just a little halfhearted compared to her rock-star vegetable dishes, which is why "Isa Does It" falls just short of "Veganomicon" for me. But it's still great.
For a really great chef who does somersaults to simulate meat dishes—burgers and chili and Thanksgiving turkey—it is well worth your while to pick up The Chicago Diner Cookbook by Jo Kaucher. I could tell stories about some large-scale orphan Thanksgivings I've helped to host, where we served a hundred people over two days with meat and vegan options flying everywhere. We practically scripted the vegetarian (vegan) half of these meals from the Diner cookbook. Here is what I know: a ton of starving Chicago artists of varying omnivore, vegetarian and vegan status absolutely destroyed Jo Kaucher's tofurkey year after year after year, while my SO's actual-turkey, which is damned fucking good, always took second place and became leftovers. Shit, I prefer Jo's tofurkey to real turkey and I'm the kind of guy who makes laap from scratch at home, which means I'll spend an hour mincing intestines on a cutting board that you wet with pig blood while you chop. That is, I don't go out of my way for tofu and still I adore Jo's tofurkey.
Anyway, I hope those are fun suggestions that might be useful. :)
Check your local library for vegan cookbooks. That's where I get most of my recipes. My favorites are Isa Does It and Vegan Eats World.
Books. You need them.
http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053
http://www.amazon.com/Salumi-The-Craft-Italian-Curing/dp/0393068595
http://www.amazon.com/In-The-Charcuterie-Sausage-Confits/dp/1607743434
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Sausage-Recipes-Meat-Curing/dp/0025668609
>I know we've got a lot of hobbyists here. Anyone skilled in curing these types of meats? Where do you find curing nitrates and when do you find the best time to cure the meats? Especially interested in your opinion if you're from KZN, the Eastern Cape and other parts of the country that aren't dry
I've built a drying cabinet that's large enough for me to stand inside and I'd suggest anyone who's serious about Charcuterie to do the same, but a biltong box and your refrigerator will be fine for smaller batches.
As far as ingredients and supplies, I buy everything online, and for my recipes, I use Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie, which is more or less the bible of meat curing.
Straight outta the Charcuterie book
I got a WSM a couple of years ago. I also got the Meathead book at the same time. Using the recipes in there my friends and family always want me to cook for parties. Get a wireless thermometer and it's great.
I like Meathead’s bbq cookbook (and his website for that matter). You don’t need a pellet-specific book.
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
Amazing Ribs
That's the truth, it's much less offensive on a full browser. If you're really starting from almost no knowledge on grilling and smoking Meathead's book is mostly the same information, but it's organized in a much more logical manner, rather than having to sort of bounce around between different articles in no particular order.
Meathead rarely disappoints. He's got a good book I've enjoyed looking at. Also his [website] (http://www.amazingribs.com) has plenty of good stuff as well.
Stopped by to say the same thing.
He has a book...
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_AX3QzbGVD8240
When looking for inspiration for Indian food I always reach for Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries or Monisha Bharadwaj's The Indian Cooking Course.
The latter has become a house favourite. We ended up buying 5 extra copies to gift friends and family.
Yamuna Devi or Ragivan Iyer. The former is a true classic, and I've cooked nearly every recipe over the past 20 years. The later is a more recent book, but the recipes are every bit as classic (and delicious).
that was a person who just weighed in to link one of the definitive texts on the many, many variations of curries.
and i am a truly competent cook, please never speak ill again u lil shit
I'd suggest the book 660 curries - Raghavan Iyer as it covers all of the "spice blends" as well as having many many dishes that do not include mustard seeds in the blends. For those that do simply omitting them should suffice. He also has a section in the back where it explains the purpose of various spices, bitter, sweet, umami, etc. so you might be able to locate substitutes for mustard seeds as they are there to impart bitter.
660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer is comprehensive. You can also try Indian Cooking Unfolded by him but it has only 100 recipes.
If you like Indian cooking, there's a pile of these in 660 Curries.
My favourite is Panch Phoron:
Mix and then use in recipes as needed.
My favourite recipe with it:
Heat 2 tbls oil. Fry 1 tbls Panch Phoron + 4 dried chillies for 30 seconds. add 1lb chopped potatoes. fry on medium high for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric, mix well. Add 1 can of coconut milk. Stir thoroughly, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in 6-8oz of fresh spinach, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes until spinach wilts.
edit: added chillies.
Plan 1: Grab a general purpose beginner's book like Ruhlman's 20, How to Cook Everything: the Basics, or The Four Hour Chef and get cracking.
For the record, I would start with Ruhlman since he's the most oriented towards principles, techniques, and general purpose stuff. Bittman's great, but he mostly teaches via recipe which isn't that helpful when you're just barely starting out. Ferris' book is incredible and I would wholeheartedly recommend it, but it's huge and filled with a lot of rabbit trails about learning styles, foreign languages, memorizing playing cards, and shooting 3 points. If you like watching Tim Ferris ADD on neat stuff (and I do) it's a great read, but it definitely isn't only about cooking.
Plan 2: Get this poster. Ideally here. Get the veggie if you need it. Buy the stuff, make the stuff. This won't be quite as much initial layout as buying a book, and it's not nearly as intimidating. But it's not nearly as detailed so you're going to have to do a lot more guess-and-check type stuff and be ready to throw out your mistakes, which is probably going to cost more and be more frustrating in the long run.
tl;dr - Ruhlman
Disclaimer: links are for convenience only. I receive no benefit other than sharing my favorite sources.
A lot of the comments are focused on learning simple techniques and skills, and having a basic understanding of processes. Check out this book by Michael Ruhlman.
From the blurb: " Twenty distills Ruhlman's decades of cooking, writing, and working with the world's greatest chefs into twenty essential ideas from ingredients to processes to attitude that are guaranteed to make every cook more accomplished. Whether cooking a multi-course meal, the juiciest roast chicken, or just some really good scrambled eggs, Ruhlman reveals how a cook's success boils down to the same twenty concepts."
Yes, it actually will. Brewing relies heavily on the salt and mineral content of the water. Salt and mineral content changes significantly if they change a water source like that. Water content is also the reason why breweries are located in certain areas in certain states/countries around the world.
The other ingredients that you mentioned really don't have a huge impact, even with seasonal variations. Yeast is the only other factor that can seriously change flavor, and the yeast used in these beers is highly controlled and not subjected to conditions that will cause mutations.
For someone with the username 'Eddie_The_Brewer' you seem to not know a lot about brewing science.
Edit: And if you really don't believe me, there's a freaking book dedicated to water science: http://www.amazon.com/Water-A-Comprehensive-Guide-Brewers/dp/0937381993/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1371673133&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=water+brewing
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
This is a great book on everything water.
People have written entire books on the topic, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
This book is a good read for everything water.
I got started using this book Complete Joy Of Homebrewing I felt this book was super friendly as introductory material.
There is also this book How To Brew I think most people will tell you John Palmer's book is better but honestly both will contain all the information you need to get started. I am sure someone more resourceful than me will be able to direct you to some great (and free) internet resources to take a look at as well.
Edit: A quick Google search yielded This Have fun and welcome!
I haven’t seen it yet but The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Fourth Edition: Fully Revised and Updated https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062215752/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XiQoDbVWK4YK0 is worth a read.
Also like everyone else was saying, just take it one step at a time. Just enjoy it. And start kegging ASAP because bottling sucks.
I’d say try not to make too many changes to your brewery all at once, so you can stay familiar with how long different things normally take, and it limits the hiccups you might have. Obviously there’s going to be pretty big steps, like going all grain.
My top suggestion would be "How to brew" By John Palmer or "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" By Charlie Papazian and read before buying anything. You will get a strong understanding of the process and be able to make sure it's something you will want to do before dropping $100 dollars on getting started.
If you want to jump in with smaller batches (1 Gallons) I would suggest buying one of Brooklyn Brew Shops kits or another small batch kit. The process is pretty much the same just in smaller portions. If you decide from there you want to go bigger you always can and then you have a better grasp on the process and what will be needed to make better beer.
Little bit of a different issue, but I would also suggest having a homebrew session with the staff before you open one day. Nothing will teach you about the process of making beer better than doing it yourself, and it really isn't hard. If you still want to accompany that lesson with literature, two great books on brewing are How to Brew by John Palmer (aka the home brewer's bible, full text is also available for free online) and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian
As far as general history and beer tasting knowledge, I'll back up those who have recommended Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher, and pretty much anything written by Michael Jackson. Many of Jackson's books are separated by regions, so it would be helpful to find which one applies to the area your pub/the beers your serve are from
To follow up on /u/unsungsavior16's comment, I'd suggest The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. I read this after Palmer's book and loved both of them!
Just reading his book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing now. It's a fantastic resource!
The advice in these comments is good. Also, Beginner's brewing books like The Complete Joy of Homebrewing and The Brewmaster's Bible have sections with generic recipes by style. The also have good general descriptions of various varieties of hops and their typical uses for bittering, flavoring, or aroma.
First buy this book.
I'm so old I have the second edition from when I started homebrewing back in the early 90's.
Start saving your bottles. Tell all your friends to start saving their bottles too. Just accept that brewing is a craft and you'll get better with experience. But also that you may never make a beer a good as the best beers you can buy. Have fun!
8 gallon kettle, 6+ gallon fermenter (buckets are fine), airlock, bottling bucket, racking cane or autosiphon, good instant read thermometer, hydrometer, sanitizer (i use StarSan religiously), cleaner such as PBW or oxiclean free, about 70 - 12 oz bottles, bottle caps, capper. You can find all of these items sold together as a starter kit at many online retailers - except probably the thermometer and bottles. Or check your local homebrew store.
I say those measurements so you won't be rebuying in a month when you want to do a full boil. You can boil a full 5gallons batch in an 8 gallon kettle.
Yes, you can spend $10k and want more. But there is no need to spend anywhere near that to make excellent beer.
And unless you've read and understand a few books or have a mentor that's gonna watch over you, start with extract and some specialty grains. It's easy to get in over your head with all grain and no experience. Start with a kit for sure. That way of it doesn't come out as advertised you will know it's something wrong with your process and not something wrong with the recipe you concocted. Sanitize everything that it going to come into contact with your beer after the boil. If you have questions post again.
And read a book. I started with Charlie Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Others will recommend Palmer's book but I haven't read it.
Cheers. RDWHAHB.
Papazian's "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" is what you want.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0062215752/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1487716562&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=charlie+papazian&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51UwlRbkPVL&amp;ref=plSrch
In this post, I'm going to link to examples. They are examples: I'm not necessarily recommending that specific item. (I'm pretty much doing a search on Amazon and linking to the first thing in the search results that is actually what you need.) It's just an example to let you know what you're looking for.
Yes, you will need a metal stockpot. Five gallons should be sufficient.
You will need some type of stirring apparatus. Some would recommend a large metal spoon, but I recommend using a plastic mash paddle.
I would recommend getting some type of thermometer to put on your stock pot. A candy thermometer is where I'd start, but, if this is a hobby that you'll stick with, it's probably worth investing in something better.
Also, I see that they put a hydrometer in your kit. If you want to take measurements with the hydrometer, you'll need either a turkey baster or a wine thief. I'd start with the baster.
If you need a book on homebrewing, Palmer's How to Brew is pretty much the standard, but Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is well regarded. Palmer's book is in its third edition, but you can get the first edition of the book online for free.
Depending on the ingredients that you use, you may need common kitchen items like scissors or can openers.
You'll also need bottles. If you brew a five gallon batch (which is pretty typical… at least in the United States), you'll need about fifty-four twelve-ounce bottles. However, you can't use twist-off bottles; they're no good.
Lastly, you'll need ingredients. Different recipes call for different ingredients. My advice is to buy a kit from a local homebrew store (LHBS) or one online. Some kits make you buy the yeast separately. If so, make sure that you purchase the right strain of yeast.
np. It took me a while to clue in that you were looking for a vegan solution. Now I feel like I need to make it up to you. I don't know if you or your s/o are into cooking vegan for yourselves, but we own the best vegan cookbook we have ever tried (we have over a hundred cookbooks). If you're interested, it's called [Isa does it] (http://www.amazon.ca/Isa-Does-It-Amazingly-Delicious/dp/0316221902).
Good for you for making that connection! It's not an easy thing to accept, but once you do, you're kinda stuck this way.
I hope this was at least a tiny bit helpful! Good luck! :)
https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902
Isa Does It. She's one of my favorite vegan chefs and this book has a good mix of recipes that span multiple cuisines. Good food takes time so there are some recipes that will take awhile, but not all of them. And she has a lot of great tips too.
This cook book is a staple in our house. It is vegan but if you want to add cheese or whatever it's easy to modify. Though I think the vegan recipes are fantastic in their own right.
https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902
Also, sounds like you're going to need to learn to cook w/o animals if you're transitioning. I'd check out Isa and any of her cookbooks
This and this are my favourites I think!
Oh yeah, I used to be vegan...I am into it.
Taste: It is very bland by itself, but no one that I know eats it straight. It can be made into many tasty things. It is in a lot of faux meats. It is a lot like tofu in that it takes up the flavor of things around it. I think that Isa Chandra is like... the wheat gluten goddess. All of her recipes involving wheat gluten that I've made I've been a fan of. I'm a big fan of her "Chickpea Cutlet" recipe ([recipe here] (http://www.theppk.com/2010/11/doublebatch-chickpea-cutlets/)).
Check out [Veganomicon] (http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X) and [Isa Does It!] (http://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1427495938&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=isa+does+it). Both of those books have winning recipes that use wheat gluten as an ingredient.
Expense: Varies wildly. If you find it at a hippie woo-woo place in an individually sealed package (e.g., Bob's Red Mill), the markup can be insane. On the other hand, you can get it cheaply per pound if you can find it in a bulk bin at a place like Whole Foods.
You can get it at an extra "discount" if you find it in a bulk bin but label it as some kind of flour. ;)
My Experience: I made some dang tasty recipes with the stuff, but eventually, I stopped eating it because I personally find that I don't tolerate it as well (it just made me gassy). But more importantly, the recipes I like it best in have a higher protein to carb ratio than I'd prefer during a cut...and when I'm bulking, I'm too busy filling my face with all the things so I usually forget about wheat gluten.
Hope this helps!
I saw Pizza Dough in B&N and it looks interesting. Shows how to make different pizzas from a few different dough recipes. Lots of pictures of pizza. Plays directly toward his desire for pizza. Also, even mediocre homemade pizza with Prego branded sauce is better than Pizza Hut, let alone Papa John's.
I find Rachel Ray terribly boring, but her Week in a Day book has a enormous quantity of recipes that can be pushed and modified in different directions and it's filled with a ton of pictures. I think her books are best for getting ideas on other recipes. I wouldn't make too many of her recipes straight, because she tends to add a ton of calories to her meals and I just couldn't eat that much.
Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a bunch of Vegan books. She has an irreverent style I like that doesn't resort to the multitudes of F-bombs that Thug Kitchen has to throw out there. It's vegan, so you'll have to be OK with that, but otherwise, she has plenty of good looking recipes. Her latest, Isa Does It looks like a good place to start.
Maybe try a book on charcuterie?
I haven't read that one in particular, but that kind of book is quite fascinating in general.
Steven Rinella recommended this book, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (Revised and Updated) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393240053/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qQV4xbMW0041F
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (Revised and Updated) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393240053/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9JbiDb82S780M
This book is amazing, i have a 15lb ham hanging in my dining room drying. I used their basic dry cure, pulsed about 5 ancho Chiles in a magic bullet until they were powder put the cure on the belly flipped every other day for 5-7 days pulled it out of the bags, cut a piece rinsed and fried it to check my salt level(at this point you can let it cure longer they say up to 10 days but it gets super salty. After you’re happy with your salt level rinse thoroughly and pat dry let sit in fridge(or the garage if it’s cold out, hence why i like doing it in January/February) over night suspended and uncovered. Then cold smoke for about 16 hours on applewood(I’m a big fat cheater and use the masterbuilt cold smoking attachment about $50 on amazon and cut a hole in a 55gallon drum absolutely perfect setup) if you’re afraid it’s gonna get too warm keep a tub of ice in the bottom.
I've mostly been making corned beef, bacon and sausage. Even if things don't turn out perfectly, it's hard to make things that are actually bad as long as you're careful to keep everything clean and use the right ratios of salt, sugar and nitrites. I haven't moved to air drying or smoking meats yet because I don't have the space or equipment. For what I'm doing, I just need to be able to save space in my fridge for a week or so at a time.
This book is a great resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about the craft.
Great! Every time someone asks for advice on books or references (common on r/homestead) my answer is always the "Storey's Guide" to whatever animals they have, this one, and the ball blue book. Those are required reference books for everyone I think. Another good one that would be fitting for this sub is Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
OP, as a New Orleans native, I highly recommend these two:
http://www.nolacuisine.com/2006/03/19/dragos-style-charbroiled-oyster-recipe/
http://www.gumbopages.com/food/seafood/bbq-shrimp.html
So good it'll put you into a food coma or get you laid.
EDIT: Rhulman's book has a recipe in it for a sausage that's seafood based. If you have a meat grinder, it might be worth attempting because it can be done on the cheaper side.
Bacteria need lots of things to grow, and one of them is moisture. Salting draws out the water to the surface, where it can evaporate, and the meat no longer has enough for bacteria to live.
Not sure about the exact timing of making jerky, but I'm sure there are tons of books. Ruhlman has a book that would probably tell you everything you need to know: Charcuterie
This is a solid start, I highly recommend!
Charcuterie
I do not have experience with the two books you mentioned, however I own “Charcuterie” which does go in depth with sausage making, and has some great recipes. I highly recommend it.
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (Revised and Updated) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393240053/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QevPDbWDMND63
no worries - hit up Hank Shaw at http://honest-food.net for tons of info
Also the book Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
https://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053/ref=sr_1_1
Well worth your money and time to read!
Charcuterie is a great book for learning how to make sausages and cured meats of all kinds, with a nice hot dog recipe. The batch I made took a while (grinding, stuffing, smoking) but they were damn good. The recipe uses beef short ribs if you're curious.
Absolutely, if you are a complete beginner this book is great to start with. As you progress this other book will be a good next step. The salt cured pig blog on Facebook has a ton of info on it for home curing. So I’d start with the first book and go from there, you can hit me up with any questions!
I'm a fan of [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1420214600&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Charcuterie) and this
In The Charcuterie: The Fatted Calf's Guide to Making Sausage, Salumi, Pates, Roasts, Confits, and Other Meaty Goods
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
Can recommend both.
You can't go wrong with Michael Ruhlman, here's a revised version that has excellent recipes and everything you need to know.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393240053/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393240053&linkCode=as2&tag=primalcajun-20&linkId=36e3d3f53527c4493068a33f323534a0
> Memphis barbecue is the best.
-_-
Them's fighting words!
I'm not originally Texan... but I took up the barbeque when I moved here, because it's so good.
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
Good guide. Also have Raichlen's Project Smoke book.
https://www.amazon.com/Meathead-Science-Great-Barbecue-Grilling/dp/054401846X/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=H87A4VHWKNSF2FK8EX2J
I should get that one.
One of the best "reference" sites is Meathead Goldwyn's amazingribs.com. He also just released a book -- more technique than recipes, although there are a bunch.
Another really great smoking book is Franklin Barbecue. This one is much more about the technique and has only a few recipes. But reading it helped my understanding of the process and really ramped up my game. (and I'd already been smoking for several years.)
And of course anything by Steven Raichlen - http://www.projectsmoke.org
Meathead's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X
Franklin book: https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
Good luck -- smoking is a lot of fun and you never quite "get there" -- you are always learning something new...
This is the BBQ book you want to get him
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6x-iDbX7XM674
It's what to do, and then an explanation for why as if you're a mechanical engineer. Knowing the physics behind what to do helps me remember rules of thumb better.
Jerusalem
Cooking with Loula: Greek recipes from my family to yours
Ideas in food: great recipes and why they work (ma anche Maximum Flavor, degli stessi autori)
Meathead: the science of barbecue and grilling
BraveTart: iconic american desserts (in uscita 15 agosto)
You need 3 books.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fBcDzbYN9KZW9
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YBcDzb7V60BMC
Project Smoke: Seven Steps to Smoked Food Nirvana, Plus 100 Irresistible Recipes from Classic (Slam-Dunk Brisket) to Adventurous (Smoked Bacon-Bourbon Apple Crisp) by Steven Raichlen (2016-05-10) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FEKD1XI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ACcDzbGV4NSBK
You're welcome.
Meathead’s book is a smoking bible. https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_7FiZCbQ22SCF8
Meathead
allthingsbbq and HowToBBQRight are great youtube channels to watch to get you started. I also recommend Meatheads Book.
If he doesn't have it already, this is probably the best book on barbecue and grilling
https://www.amazon.com/Meathead-Science-Great-Barbecue-Grilling/dp/054401846X
If you like to grill I would highly recommend checking out Meathead's book: Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9jzbBbK1XJ734
The principles learned in this book can be applied damn-near everywhere except baking.
Make this, double the marinade if you’re a monster like me, and cry because it is so damn good.
We’ve discussed doing this in lieu of thanksgiving, no joke.
Also, check out Meathead’s book about grilling. It goes a lot into the reasoning and science about why one cooks things certain ways, and it’s totally helpful and interesting. We went from clueless to extremely capable.
I started with 660 Curries. Written from the perspective of an American supermarket with an Indian market occasionally. Lots of simple recipes to get a feel while you build your spice collection.
I love making Indian food! Don't give up! I love this cookbook so so much. My boyfriend and I try a new recipe out of it almost every week, there is an excellent variety of flavors and bases (chicken, beef, veggie, potato, lentil, rice etc). We've had a couple that were meh but for the most part they are very tasty and quite a few have just blown us away. The spices are a bit of an investment but well worth it if you want good results. We have found it much cheaper to buy them whole from penzeys.com than from our local grocery store and a necessity for spices that they don't stock at all (I'm looking at you, fenugreek).
I guess to someone who has eaten Indian food their whole lives the recipes might not be so amazing but I have eaten at quite a few Indian restaurants and a couple of these recipes blew anything else I have tried right out of the water.
660 Curries by Raghaven Iyer is my favorite. Madhur Jaffrey also has some good books too.
Add this to your library
Yotam Ottolenghi came out with a followup on his Plenty cookbook a few months ago, its called Plenty More. Used to see vegetables as only a side dish but he really changed my mind and enabled me to see that they can really be the star of the table. There are many interesting combinations. And as a man who is an omnivore himself, he often makes his dishes hearty enough that many of us wont even miss the meat.
Another book which you should look into is Thug Kitchen. If you haven't seen their blog, you should really check it out.
You should also look into Deborah Madison's books. This one is practically the Bible among vegetarians due to how comprehensive it is. Ironically, she also is an omnivore.
Theres also the Moosewood Cookbook which is great for weeknight meals as many of the recipes are simple and quick.
If you like Indian, I would really recommend 660 Curries which has some of the best Indian food I've ever tasted. I often compare food I get in Indian restaurants to what I've cooked from this book. Yes, its not completely vegetarian but the vast majority of Indian cuisine is vegetarian so it should still be a valuable resource for you.
Speaking of Indian food, Madhur Jaffrey (who is known for her Indian cookbooks) has a great cookbook dedicated to vegetarian cooking.
I have this one and I really like it. The recipes are authentic, but the author is also aware of the realities of North American cooks making curry, so he offers suggestions for alternatives to the harder to find ingredients that are sometimes in the recipes. Plus it's really inexpensive for the number of recipes that it has.
660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer is my favorite curry book.
My favorite Thai curry paste is Mae Ploy. My favorite Japanese curry is House Brand.
I highly recommend the book 660 Curries for beginners.
Where I grew up, there was only one Indian restaurant and a very very small number of people from that part of the world. I loved the food, but had never visited a home that cooked it, so the methods and conventions of Indian cooking were completely invisible to me.
"660 Curries" took me from that state of absolutely zero knowledge to knowing a good thing or two about curry. Since it has 660 recipes, it can seem quite daunting at first, but if you start from the beginning, you'll be eased into it. If you end up getting the book, PM me and I'll point you toward a few of my favorite recipes and elaborate further on how I started out.
Glad I can help! Like I said, if you decide on a specific recipe and want some tips, I can help more - I just don't know your or his food preferences, or if he'll eat garlic - which isn't used in some forms of Brahmin vegetarian cooking - etc. Otherwise I could drop a few more specifics.
From a historical perspective, it's interesting how Indian cooking benefited from/was influenced by the Columbian exchange. Pre-contact dishes were apparently primarily flavored with pepper and tamarind - the tomatoes and chilis came with the exchange.
A few good kitchen staples which will let you cook a large number of dishes from this part of the subcontinent are whole mustard seeds, urad dal (split black lentils - which are actually white), curry leaves, tamarind, garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder, garlic and ginger (whole or in pastes). Some recipes will also call for cumin powder, cashews, dried red chilis, or ground coconut. 660 Curries is written by a Tamil Brahmin which might be a decent place to start - I personally don't put coconut in all my curries, but that's the style of some communities. Also, he cooks his meat, puts it aside, and then cooks the spices, mixing in the meat at the end - I'd personally cook the spices, and then cook the meat in the spices so it absorbs the flavors.
You don't have to pretend that you're a woman to get food advice!
If you're looking for recipes, Ruhlman's Twenty is my favorite beginner cookbook - it goes into detail about 20 different ingredients and how to use them, and it also gives you recipes for each. I've found that it's somewhat difficult to eat too terribly when you're making your own food from raw ingredients, and if your little sister is smart, I bet she'll love learning more about what she's doing and why the recipe works.
Cooking, even good cooking, is much simpler than most people think. the mistake almost everyone makes is to start reading recipe books and following famous chefs recipes, which tend to be overly complicated and not explain the "why" behind the steps. Clearly not the case for a burger, well done in this case.
Cooking is a series of very basic techniques, used appropriately. By far the best introduction to cooking is https://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438. Just 20 basic, universal techniques each illustrated by a simple recipe, will give you a better foundation than 99% of home cooks
This popped into my head. It's not all ingredients, but the main ones are there and how to use them. Some of which are - Eggs, water, salt, sugar, butter...
The first 10 or so are ingredients the second are prep techniques.
http://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438
[Ruhlman's Twenty](Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook's Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/0811876438/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_iI7Nub01N560D) so I knew the basics backwards and forwards when I was done.
Haven't bought/read it yet, but it's the only cookbook I've ever pined for.
Ruhlman's Twenty.
The Flavor Bible and Ruhlman's 20 are both good guides to that kind of thing - not really about recipes, more about techniques. Flavor Bible has a really useful section where you can look up different ingredients and it will list the other ingredients or favors that will complement it. Both are also available digitally if that's your thing.
Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook's Manifesto
Ruhlman's Twenty may not be exactly what you have in mind but is an excellent book. Easily accessible, adaptable, and covers things you may not even really consider.
Nice! Life changing book for me, along with his James Beard award winning Twenty (http://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438)
Check out most books by Michael Ruhlman. Twenty is a good one especially.
Ruhlman's twenty. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0811876438
Ruhlman's Twenty. Interesting, informative, and includes some fantastic recipes to illustrate the techniques discussed.
If you want to learn a whole lot about the subject of brewing water I found this book to be really useful (if a little dry to read).
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
I think it is actually easier on some level to start with RO (for brewing purposes RO water is very close to distilled and generally way cheaper) and then just "build" your water from scratch at least for some styles. Pilsners are a good example because Plzen, Czech Republic has famously low mineral water and very few other places have such water. So the best option for an "authentic" Czech Pils is to start with water with essentially no minerals and add back tiny amounts.
Other styles of beer became what they are in order to make the best possible beer with the water the brewer historically had to deal with. So Irish stouts are obviously well suited to Dublin's water profile and English IPAs well suited to Burton water, etc. And with RO water, a good scale, and a few powdered minerals you can pretty straightforwardly replicate the water from anywhere in the world.
If you don't use RO water it gets a little bit trickier in that you have to know what you are starting with regarding minerals in your tap water. That's harder for some than others. Where I live, my municipal water is pulled from three different sources, they all have slightly different mineral profiles, and it's not as though the city tells you when they switch from one source to another. On top of that, because they are all sourced from surface water, their mineral content will change depending on time of year (winter water vs. spring runoff water for example). So unless you pretty routinely have your water tested (expensive to do often) you don't necessarily know what your starting mineral levels are... which makes getting your mineral additions right tricky. Luckily I have pretty good water for brewing IPAs and that's what I brew most often. But when I brew a pils I start with RO (and add very little), when I brew a stout I try to get a little closer to Dublin water by using filtered tap, baking soda, and chalk, and like I mentioned when I do American IPAs I only have to add a little gypsum. I don't try to replicate water from around the world exactly, but I do try to get my water closer to the recommended ranges.
You can get as deep into water profiles as you like, from trying to completely replicate the water where a style originated to just adding a couple of minerals to get somewhat closer to those "ideal" ranges. It's one of those subjects we can nerd out on as much as we like.
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
http://www.amazon.com/For-The-Love-Hops-Bitterness/dp/1938469011/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
http://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-Fermentation-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381969/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z
http://www.amazon.com/Malt-Practical-Guide-Field-Brewhouse/dp/1938469127/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=0WQ72HEQ20V3E7C82R98
Martin Brungard's article "Water Knowledge"
Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers (Brewing Elements)
This is great advice. A bit of gypsum will really work well, so I'd say use your water and add a bit of gypsum.
OP I implore you to read about Burton on Trent's water, and why your water profile for the city is most likely bullshit (if not impossible). I also implore you to read Palmer's book on Water for Brewing--it explains why any "water profile" you try to match is most likely bullshit, and that the brewers in those cities have been treating their water for centuries.
How to Brew.
Yeast
For the Love of Hops
Water
I haven't read the book in the water-hops-yeast-malt series on malt yet, but I'm sure it's good. Also, the Brewers Publications books on specific styles are great. My boss has most of them and I borrow them frequently.
Bru'n water is the best IMO.
Just to give a quick overview of things to consider with water, there are different reasons you need certain ions. Things like sodium, chloride, and sulfate, you can taste the impact (sodium is obviously salty, chloride makes a beer "softer", sulfate makes hops sorta stand out more).
Other ions are there for balance and/or yeast health (calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc.)
Carbonates/bicarbonates (as you can probably imagine) help with buffering the mash pH. Mash pH is probably the most important factor in adjusting water for brewing. The ideal spot depends on the beer style and grain bill.
Calcium (and I suspect other divalent positive ions, not sure) is needed for getting a good hot break (proteins breaking down and flocculating in the boil). I'm not sure on the exact mechanism, but I suspect it just forms cross links on certain amino acids.
The book Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers is something I would probably get if I were you.
The Basic Brewing podcast for Aug. 21, 2014 "Homebrewer Alex Baker shares his experiment brewing the same recipe with water from different springs across Michigan."
Then there is of course Palmer and Kaminski's book on Water. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0937381993
I think water (specifically YOUR water) and recipes will play the biggest part. Read this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
A stout may call for a 5.6 or 5.7 pH where as an IPA will typically be around 5.1 to 5.3 depending on the style. There are general recommendations on how much your pH should fluctuate post mash but there are many many considerations. The pH of a stout will fluctuate differently post boil and after fermentation differently than an IPA would. So many factors. Base, adjuncts, sugars, yeast selection, etc.
It's a question that doesn't have a quick answer.
For an IPA we (WE) shoot for a mash pH range of 5.1 to 5.3.
On avg, post boil we expect it to be .3 lower. This is dependent on gear and boil off rate.
Final beer between 4.0 and 4.3.
Depending on dry hop and hop variety that number may go up or down .2
Those are my numbers.
I've seen a couple I like, but where's La Technique by Pepin. Or more likely, one of the updated versions.
I got this book for Christmas, it got me going pretty well. Many bitters recipes.
https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595/ref=sr_1_1
Bitters, lots of good info and recipes.
edit: here is the link
http://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1465130945&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=bitters
So you're saying you cheated? :)
Actually I love bitters. If I am not drinking beer my go to drink these days is a nice whiskey neat (preferably rye), with a soda back and a splash of bitters in the soda. And while we're on the subject of bitters I really want to snag [this book] (http://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&amp;colid=1JHHRW4DKFTWD&amp;coliid=I1BH7KODMQHA5J) at some point!
I took this one from "Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas" by Brad Thomas Parsons.
Dry shake to emulsify egg white, add ice, and shake to chill. Double strain into a cocktail coupe.
I'm not a very big fan of whisky, but trying to expand my repertoire, this drink is sour, sweet, and all around a very balanced cocktail. Absolutely delicious. If you haven't picked up some Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters, go buy some, they are amazing.
I liked this book called "bitters" Bitters book
I also find myself referencing The PDT Cocktail Book and Bitters often when trying to come up with custom, original cocktails or modified versions.
I've also found trial and error to be a great friend in crafting a new cocktail. Sometimes a specific flavor from a bitters, specific spirit or fruit juice combination can knock a recipe up (or down)
Check out Bitters: A Spirited History. The history part is a bit thin, but the bitter recipes take up 1/3 of the book. The Charred Cedar is devine.
Everyone has their own idea of what process best makes a batch of bitters most successful. My recipes are going to be different from other peoples'. I've been messing with combinations of fresh key lime peel, dried lime peel, dried ginger, gentian root, cardamon, cassia chips, and a very small amount of hibiscus. Figure out what makes a DnS to you stand out, and capitalize on how you can accentuate that in a (non)traditional way.
And when all else fails, read Bitters for solid info.
I like Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For the Food.
I realize that this doesn't exactly answer your question, but rather than focus on specific recipes, I would suggest that you learn all you can about the various cooking methods. Alton Brown does a nice job disucssing this in his first book, I'm Just Here for the Food. It's a fairly easy read for the basic cook. When you have an understanding of the science behind cooking, or why different foods react the way they do to different cooking methods, you've given your cooking skills a tremendous boost. Other resources I highly recommend are the publications of Cooks Illustrated and anything by Harold McGee.
DM me your mailing address. I’ll send you the cookbook that got me into cooking. https://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Cooking/dp/1584790830
It’s the “why” not just the “do”. Once you understand, you can start to create/experiment.
Alton Brown changed my life.
I'm Just Here for the Food. Between that and The Bread Baker's Apprentice I can pretend to be a pretty decent cook.
Thanks to /u/compto35 for the link!
No, but Food + Heat = Cooking is Alton's book. It's basically the show in book form and exactly like what OP is looking for.
There is a subreddit /r/fitmeals that has lots of recipes already. I've subscribed to get ideas and recipes from there.
As for leftover veggies, I make stir-fry and risotto with them. There are lots of base recipes out there that show you the basics of making these dishes that you can build upon and add other ingredients to customize.
Oh and I also like the book by Alton Brown, 'I'm just here for the Food: Heat + Food = Cooking.' it really walks you through basics of creating meals.
What you should really do is get comfortable with the basics. How to properly season a piece of beef or fish, and how to actually cook it well.
Do this by trying things out - get a sense of how the meat should look / feel when it's time to flip it, rotate it, let it rest, etc.... Once you have that down, it's just fun to experiment with new things.
This book was actually really interesting, if for no other reason than Alton Brown is informative. Best of luck to you.
Appetite for Reduction has a bunch of great recipes that are by no means difficult to make. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, The Veganomicon is pretty awesome. Just remember: Cumquat, Vanilla, Nectacoughcough
Since everyone else is touching on the other stuff, Appetite for Reduction is one of my favorite vegan cookbooks. Unfortunately it's not loaded with pictures (and the pictures it has are kind of... funky...), but the food is good.
The Post Punk Kitchen is also worth checking out. This black bean and quinoa soup is one of my favorites that I don't make often enough.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. My SO's mother has several conditions including fibro, rheumatoid arthritis, and some super fun neurological disorders that the doctors haven't been able to pinpoint. She doesn't have CP, but I know her arms and hands are very, very weak as well. She has good days and bad days. I've known her for about five years now, and her best days seem to pile up when she's drinking plenty of water and she gives herself a break physically. Her doctors have recommended trying yoga over the years, though I don't think she's ever followed through. Swimming seems to help get her going, and I know for a while she was saying she was using very light weights (1 and 3 lb) to do some basic arm and shoulder exercises.
You are totally welcome to PM me if you want to, I'd be happy to pass along anything from my SO about his mom's routines. They've been dealing with this for about 25 years now, so I know there's a boatload of information I don't have.
Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra. Bought it for low calorie recipes even before we made the change to vegan.
Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes https://www.amazon.com/dp/1600940498/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Vx2QBbD5QW838
I love this cookbook. It's about 80% good stuff. My husband and I literally cooked our way through the whole cookbook.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1600940498/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_-BZMDbD6TE237
Appetite for Reduction is vegan low cal cooking
http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498
A lot of the recipes are below 300 calories.
Thug Kitchen and Appetite for Reduction are on rotation at my house right now.
I have a few recipes that I've done myself! However, most of my recipes that I get I find online. Here are a few good sources!
http://ohsheglows.com/
http://www.theppk.com/
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.vegkitchen.com/
My girlfriend also two books which we use A LOT:
Appetite For Reduction
Veganomicon
If you would the few recipes that I have, I'd be glad to give them to you! I'm about to be really busy at the moment, so I don't have time to type them up (all of my recipes are stored in my head lol) but I have the day off tomorrow so I will type them up then :)
If you are interested in that stuff you should check out the book The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz if you haven't. It's got a lot of good info in it.
I too love what people like Beyond Meat are doing, and I think it's definitely a critical part of food in the future. I'm working on my masters and just doing consulting gigs in the mean time, but I would love to work for a company doing stuff like that.
In terms of software in the food space I think that there is going to be a lot of application in food processing automation. It's something that is a difficult problem to solve, especially when taking manual dexterity of robotics into account, plus cost. Software wise I think it would be really cool to apply image recognition to every day items that need to be processed (take a potato for example) and be able to properly assess size and shape and create instructions for cutting (diced, sliced etc.) for an automated system. Basically just a more human eye for an automated kitchen worker.
In that kind of respect I think we are much further ahead software wise than we are hardware wise, but I feel like that is going to change rapidly over the next 5-10 years as more quick service restaurants push towards cutting costs, of which labor is almost always the highest.
My recommendations depend on what you consider "pickling."
There's the notion of canning-type pickling, where you put the vegetable (typically) in a brine, often flavored with spices, and preserve them by canning; sterilizing the jars and contents so that it's shelf-stable. Most "pickles" you buy in the store fall under this definition. Additionally, these recipes are pretty standard, and have gone through exhaustive formulating and testing to ensure safety. I personally would not trust online resources for canning unless you are 100% certain of their validity. (Whereas my next distinction is far more forgiving and open to experimentation.)
For this, I can think of no better book than the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.
On the other hand, most non-Western cultures, including ours until the Cold War or so, consider pickling to involve some sort of preserving involving selecting and managing bacteria to preserve the food. Usually via some form of fermentation, though not exclusively so. Think kimchi or (non-canned) sauerkraut. Cucumber pickles are a paradox, common and popular in both canned and fermented categories. A common non-fermented, non-canned preserved item would be preserved lemons, say. Or honey-preserved garlic.
The best book for fermentation (and other non-canned preservations) is Sandor Ellix-Katz's The Art of Fermentation.
Probably the best resource. http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Fermentation-Exploration-Essential/dp/160358286X
Very little emphasis on equipment, which should also be helpful.
This is a very traditional way of doing things and very valid. If I were you, I'd read up on traditional meadmaking and look into some pitchable kveik strains (or other traditional strains that will give you this ability):
Sandor Katz has a book called The Art of Fermentation. In it he describes several different kinds of fermented meat and fish
He also argues in general about the benefits of fermented food through consumption of the bacterial loads thus induced.
Book here. I have it and it is pretty good.
I'd take no more than half a normal glass (1dl) of vinegary stuff and a peel a half-centimeter thick scoby for the new batch. Save the rest, liquid and scobies as well! You can use it in case of mold on your production scobies, can make kombucha candy from extra scobies, use the liquid as vinegar for salads and if there's no sugar left, it makes a great cleaning fluid.
edit: candy recipe: http://epistlepublishingblog.mymiddleearth.com/2013/03/23/kombucha-ginger-candy/
I originally found the idea in "The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World" by Sandor Ellix Katz , here's an excerpt:
"Nata is a candy made in the Philippines from the thick layer of cellulose that develops on the surface during vinegar fermentation of coconut water (nata de coco) or a pineapple juice infusion (nata de pina). I’ve used the nata method with a kombucha mother, and the result was a sweet, squishy candy, barely sour, with a hint of tea flavor, which almost everyone who tried it, kids included, liked. The process is extremely simple. A jun mother or mother-of-vinegar could be used with exactly the same process.
Take a kombucha mother, at least ½ inch/1 cm thick, rinse it, and cut it with a sharp knife into small bite-size pieces. Soak the kombucha pieces in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and soak again. Then transfer the kombucha pieces to a pot, cover with water, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and boil again for 10 more minutes. The reason for the repeated soaking and boiling is to remove as much acidity as possible from the kombucha mother. You may find that you prefer it more acidic, with fewer rinses and boilings. My friend Billy tried it after tasting mine and omitted the rinsing and boiling altogether. He preferred the flavor with the acidity intact. It reminded him of apple pie. “It’s my new favorite way to enjoy the kombucha!” he announced. “It’s better than drinking it.”
The nata method of candying the kombucha pieces is to cover them with sugar, roughly as much sugar as kombucha cubes. Then heat this mixture and boil the kombucha pieces in the syrup that forms, for about 15 minutes, then remove from the heat, and allow to slowly cool. After cooling, drain off any remaining syrup, crisp up in the oven for a few minutes or air-dry, and enjoy kombucha candy.
Billy loved it so much he invented his own method, without de-acidifying the kombucha and without cooking it, except at the end to dry it out. (For a live-culture kombucha candy you could air-dry, or use a dehydrator instead.) In a bowl, he alternated layers of sugar and still-acidified kombucha, then poured a cooled sugar syrup (also with butter and vanilla) over them and left it marinating overnight. In the morning he dried them, along with the extra sugar syrup, in a low oven. Finally, he sprinkled the crystallized sugar syrup on top “for a caramel flavor.”"
(the book: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fermentation-Depth-Exploration-Essential/dp/160358286X )
I have found The Art of Fermentation very helpful. Link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/160358286X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468466175&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=SY200_QL40&amp;keywords=art+of+fermentation&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51FvDZZcZ3L&amp;ref=plSrch
Another way you can naturally start your own yogurt culture is by using chili peppers, which is actually how they start yogurt in India.
Check out that link for some basics, if you're curious about some other ways, I definitely recommend checking out Sandor Katz's The Art of Fermentation. Probably the best book I've read on fermentation techniques, ideas, and recipes.
I'm late to this party, but let me chime in with what I've learned over the years of being a fermentation fan. Now, I don't know what they do in labs, but growing cultures in labs is a fairly modern development anyway.
But, outside of the lab, how do you maintain a consistent strain? Generally, you don't. ;)
Because it doesn't matter if the English Ale Yeast we have today is genetically equivalent to what was used 100 years ago, as long as it's a strain of yeast that makes something that tastes like English Ale, right? The point is the product, not the particular strain of microbe.
Generally, people are receiving their cultures from others who are already producing it; those who know what the product is supposed to BE. Smell, taste, texture/mouthfeel can be very precise tools. If a particular culture comes up different, they either toss it or propagate it based on what they view as the ideal product.
Studies have shown that the particular makeup of sourdough cultures, for instance, can depend on the ambient temperature and "rhythm" of feeding, the flour used, the water used, etc.
So, the consistency comes down to human tradition. One thing people can do is attempt to control all aspects of the fermentation. The same ingredients, from the same sources, used in the same processes, in the same environment, made in the same rhythm. This can't stop random mutations, but it provides consistent selection pressure and can provide a better baseline to notice when things have changed.
Anyone who's attempted to maintain a culture long term "in the wild" has had a batch go off. You learn to keep backups frozen, dried, or multiple concurrent batches to account for that.
If you'd like more reading on the topic, Sandor Katz has an entire section in The Art of Fermentation titled "Fermentation as a Coevolutionary Force" that's more or less related. The book as a whole is a fantastic resource for fermentation enthusiasts.
It takes a bit of skill to get a full "sheet" of it, but this is basically the method I also heard. I've made my own soy milk and failed at grabbing the skin (I think I tried to grab it before it was fully formed). Anyway, I think I tried it from The Homemade Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner. Either there or Asian Tofu by Andrea Nguyen.
I made a vegan gift basket for a friend and her boyfriend this last Christmas and it contained:
Miyoko has published 2 books with cheese recipes in them. I bought both books and got them signed AND tried many of the cheeses at her book signing party in NYC a couple months ago.
Artisan Vegan Cheese
The Homemade Vegan Pantry
Many/most of the cheese recipes are made from cashews and other nuts, and require some ingredients most of us have never heard of. I went through and found the recipes I want to try (all of them!) and rounded up all the ingredients (amazon for the obscure stuff).
In the cheese book there are 2 different Mozz recipes, one is meant to be for a fresh mozz type cheese (tried this one at the party, was just like the original and so delicious), and the other is more for melting like on pizza.
So far from the pantry book I have made Squeeze Bottle Yellow Mustard (perfect, but strong!) and the Oil Free Eggless Vegan Mayo. 2/2 both are great.
I had to change my plan about trying one of the mozz recipes today; still have some store bought cheezes I'm trying to use up, also have too much other stuff to do.
/u/hedgehiggle recently recommended a book about making vegan staples (tofu, soy milk, cheese etc). Maybe that would be useful?
Check out the lemon curd/bar recipe in The Homemade Vegan Pantry! It's made with a base of cashew cream, which apparently thickens in the same way eggs do into that glossy, thick curd, without the worry of accidentally scrambling them. I wish I could find a blog post of something to link, it's seriously amazing. Minimalist Baker has some good lemon bars, too, that are cool and creamy - a little less true to a traditional lemon bar, but definitely worth an evening to bake!
Thug Kitchen has some great, easy to make recipes that don't require many "exotic" ingredients. I also use The Homemade Vegan Pantry all the time. It's great for stocking your pantry and fridge rather than spending lots of cash on pre-made stuff. Plus, generally healthier. If you like Italian cooking, I enjoy Vedura (not vegan specific but the recipes are all veggie-centric and generally really simple).
Yeah, I'm really quite disheartened. They aren't pretty (I guess just like real ribs) but they are really tasty. They are from Miyoko Schinner's Homemade Vegan Pantry, but if you can't get the cookbook it is pretty much just a complicated seitan recipe. Make seitan, slice it into steak sized pieces and sear them on each side. Bake them like you normally would for seitan covered with watered down BBQ sauce. Cut into rib-sized pieces, sear on each side again, then toss with more BBQ sauce! The cookbook also notes that they get even better if you let them sit in the sauce for a day or two in the fridge, and thats whats happening in the photo.
I should note that this is one of my all time favourite cookbooks and I really recommend it :)
Depending on where you live, your library might have a bunch. You can check them out, try some recipes, and see if it's one you might want to buy.
I like a lot of international and multi-cultural flavors so I like a wide variety of cookbooks including:
Afro Vegan
Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen
Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen
and a general cookbook that helps you make your own dishes using vegan staples:
The Homemade Vegan Pantry
I'm a picky eater too and a new vegan. I feel like 90% of my diet is soy at the moment haha. I find that making alternatives of the foods I liked helps a lot. This book has been amazing the past few weeks. I like it because it shows you how to make staples to use in your diet instead of these crazy recipes that are overwhelming. I made the nuggets in the book the other day and they're super nice and I'm making some of my own mozzarella now!
Also train your taste buds and try new things. We are picky normally because of a mental block that causes us to be repulsed by certain foods and it helps to slowly break it down as much as possible. I personally have made a lot of progress with new foods in the last couple of years.
I hope this helps a little :)
What is your smoker setup like?
Many of the offset smokers they sell in stores come with a crappy thermometer in a terrible spot (middle of the lid). You can make some light modifications to ensure your meat is actually cooking at the right temp. (~225 for brisket)
If it's too close to the intake, excess heat from the fire will actually cook it at a much higher temperature while the smoke which reaches the built-in thermometer will have already cooled quite a bit.
Apart from that though, brisket is notorious for being the most demanding meat to smoke as it takes about 1.25 hours per pound at a temperature that low. Any major shortcuts and the fat won't render out as effectively. It's not unusual for a rack of ribs or a pork butt to be done in under six hours.
If you're new to smoking, I highly recommend Aaron Franklin's book. It definitely simplifies things for us laymen...
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
Get the Franklin book off Amazon. Better than rubs!
Aaron Franklin wrote a book [Franklin BBQ: A Meat Smoking Manifesto] (http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200), that is phenomenal. I'm currently trying to "learn" how to smoke meat (10lb pork shoulder last weekend and a tri-tip earlier this week) and it's a great resource. You can really tell from the book how much he loves smoking meat, and good food in general.
Of which is “Franklin Barbeque”:
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_q2XBDbABNEF42
Check out the franklin barbecue book, there’s a whole chapter dedicated to modifying cheap smokers to be more efficient
Franklin Barbecue A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Franklin’s cookbook has a bunch of diagrams for custom builds in it. I cannot remember if they had something like that, but should be an interesting read for someone acting to build their own.
> Roasted malts will lower the pH of the mash more than pale malts
The gold star answer right there! ::cheers::
You have to tailor the water to the specific grain bill of each recipe, so that you end up with both the correct mash pH as well as an appropriate mineral balance for the desired flavor.
(As an aside, this is a key factor in how different regions adopted certain beer styles way back when... they didn't understand the chemistry going on in the mash, but they learned through experience that certain types of beers came out better or worse than others, because of the water available to them.)
I cannot recommend Bru'n Water highly enough... I've been using it for years, and the quality of my beers -- which were pretty good to begin with -- skyrocketed. Some beers were substantially improved, others had an "intangible cohesiveness" that they never had before.
I also went for the paid version, more to give Martin some compensation for all of his hard work than the added features (although the added features are nice).
I will also mention that once I got a pH meter, the measured results were nearly spot-on to the calculated results in Bru'n Water.
IMO Bru'n Water is far far far far far better than the water chemistry module in any of the major brewing software.
I also recommend the Water book, although it's not for the timid. I have no chemistry background (I'm a designer and audio engineer/musician, much more right-brain than left-brain!) and it's taken me a while and multiple re-reads to wrap my head around some of it... but IMO it was well-worth the effort.
John and Colin's Water a comprehensive guide for brewers.
I'd say that book's looking fairly out-dated now, personally I'd recommend the Paleo Solution or the Primal Blueprint. I think Cordain was still recommending a relatively low-fat diet when he wrote that, and was more concerned about risks in consuming saturated fats.
Really, you should play around with it and see how you feel. If you're a crossfitter, see what happens with your WOD times and PRs. I assume you're recording your efforts so you should already have a base.
Go for this book. He's not quite a crossfitter anymore (heh), but to ignore him as a resource would be downright silly.
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1313095660&amp;sr=8-1
Also, his podcast is excellent. His most recent one had Mark Sisson and Mat LaLonde. It was REALLY good stuff.
Kev, we all try different paths to get us to where we want to go. If this works for you that's great, but for me it wouldn't be sustainable long-term. HcG just seems a little scammy to me, however if you're committed to it, I would throw in some vitamin D too. Breaking 500 is a great first step (it is nice to see the numbers drop!). I do worry that you're not getting enough real food with this diet.
I started well above where you are now so I know where you're coming from in wanting to get it done with (I still don't like to tell others how bad I got). I've tried most of the diets and fads out there, but what finally turned me around was reading Tim Ferris' 4hr body, Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories, Rob Wolff's Paleo Solution, Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet and Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint. I've culled what works for me from these and have been eating pretty much Paleo/Keto since November. I've dropped over 50lbs since then at about 2000-2200 cals day. I know it's not biggest loser territory, but slow and steady wins the race. Most of all, it's something I can live with long term. So far my only exercise has been walking and some stationary bike.
What made the change easier for me was I found a lifestyle rather than a diet to follow. That's not to say I haven't had the occasional setbacks (god I miss pizza and beer), but I'm getting there and you will too. Best of luck on your quest...
tl/dr - Plan's not for me, don't be afraid to try something else. Knock em dead kid!
Why not get one of the many books on Paleo and read up on it so you know what is "good to eat".
Once you get a handle on your situation just make sure you have plenty of grub available to you so you won't cave to your cravings. Also, your cravings will subside pretty quickly if you start eating "right".
I have never read a reddit post this long before, or all the comments. You write very well.
I'll start with the budet issue. I do try to be as frugal as possible as well, but can 'afford' most of the food and to by expensive organic stuff sometimes too. I would make lean ground beef a staple. I would take the time to seek out a butcher or farmer so you know where the meat is coming from, and can usually get it at big box store prices. Where I live that is ~$3 per lb. I would also get some beef liver. This is actually one of the most nutrient dense source of food you can eat. One way to work it into your food with it being palatable is to mix it in with the ground beef. I also eat a ton of bacon. You should be able to get it for pretty cheap as well.
For eggs it was mentioned already but eat the yokes, Tim even says that hidden in the Testosteron chapter. I would again try to find a farmer that you can get pastured eggs for cheap.
For veggies I find that frozen is usually more expensive. Buy fresh whatever is on sale and paying attention to all the grocery store flyers is important. Again finding farms and farmers markets too. Some communities have Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) where you can put in some time working on the garden in exchange for some of the produce, I would look into that.
Also if you google for "paleo budget shopping list" or things like that there are a lot of resources. SCD comes from the same foundation as Paleo (listen to Tim on Robb Wolfs Podcast from Dec 2010 for more info).
It seems like you may not have a lot of financial resource but do have quite a bit of time. I would use that time to learn as much as possible about nutrition, for both physical health and mental health. Tim's book is a great starting point but it doesn't quite fill in a lot of the gaps. There are a lot of false info in conventional nutrition info and he didn't quite debunk them all enough. You can get books for free at your local library, hopefully it is a decent library. If not there are other ways to find them and most of these people have great websites and blogs as well.
There are also some small 4 HB specific blogs. hisc1ay has a good one http://www.findingmyfitness.com. Mine is at http://www.myfourhourbodydiary.com/. Luke at http://4hourbodycouple.com and http://4hourbodyzone.com by Brian and http://www.4hourlife.com/ by Stephen.
Also the http://www.4hbtalk.com forum is quite active and has a lot of helpful people.
To address some of the other specific things you asked about. The eggs I already mentioned I wrote about it a while ago if you want more detailed info http://www.myfourhourbodydiary.com/2012/02/05/the-big-fat-missing-chapter/.
I personally don't think beans are the best choice for you give your history of thyroid issues. I would definitely stay away from peanuts, I know you didn't mention them but they are a legume, and the protein lectin in them can not be digested. This is why so allergies to them can be so sever in some people. I can see how your thyroid issues may have disappeared when you started eating more. Fasting that much and eating that little would cause a huge stress on you adrenals and your cortisol would be through the roof.
I think roots and tubers like sweet potatoes, yam, taro, carrots, squash and other starchy veggies (potatoes might be ok for you too, they have a higher glycemic index but if you are eating them with fat an protein the glycemic load should be low) would be a safer choice for you. They have a glycemic index of ~37 which is pretty low and have very few inflammatory proteins.
I also would try to limit starchy foods to 1-2 meals a day not all 3. A high fat and protein breakfast will keep you satiated for a long time and provide a ton of nutrition. Here is a good example although I would avoid the fruit until you are at your goal weight http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/270/The_Meat_and_Nut_Breakfast.aspx
I also recommend to people to try a gluten free cheat day. It worked wonders for me and most people that try seem to feel much better and lose fat much faster as well. I try and recommend to eat as much fruit as possible on cheat day. Helps build up that store of liver glycogen and help with any sweet tooth issues.
For exercise looks pretty good what you are doing, especially since you are noticing a difference so fast. When you start to plateau or get bored of those exercises adding in some stuff from the kiwi workout would be good, and other KB stuff like cleans and snatches if you feel comfortable doing them. Learning the more advanced stuff too is fun, like turkish getups, on legged deadlifts etc. Also I highly recommend pullups, you can usually find a bar at your local park to do them. Being that we sit a lot we generally have a weak back and pulling muscles.
As for the amount of weight lost you are doing very good. I think 10 lbs a month is around average maybe a bit over average. I think it would really benefit you to make some non scale goals (NSV or non scale victories as they like to say in /r/loseit) see this post for ideas http://whole9life.com/2012/08/new-health-scale/
The scale is a really shitty way to measure body composition and health.
Some longer term goals and maybe some performance goals I think would really help you out as well. 'Dieting to lose x amount of weight' is never successful. Tim states in the book many time it is a lifestyle change. You want to look good, and being healthy is the best way to accomplish that. My goal from the start was to lead a healthy lifestyle to set an example for my son and any future kids I have, I have been at it for 18 months now and will never go back. There have been set back, ups and downs along the way, but when your goal is long term and you are looking way down the road, having some cake at a birthday isn't that big of a deal.
I also get a ton of help from my S/O and I highly suggest everyone get by in and help from the people around them. They don't have to be as passionate about it as you are but as long as they are board and have some sort of health related goals it makes a huge difference.
Good Luck, feel free to contact me directly.
From Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution:
>Quinoa is botanically not a grain, but because it has evolved in a similar biological niche, Quinoa has similar properties to grains, including chemical defense systems that irritate the gut. In the case of Quinoa, it contains soap-like molecules called saponins. Unlike gluten, which attaches to a carrier molecule in the intestines, saponins simply punch holes in the membranes of the microvilli cells. Yes, that's bad.
Any of the Thomas Keller books, French Laundry, Ad Hoc at Home, Bouchon, and Bouchon Bakery. The only one you'd probably want to avoid is Under Pressure.
Also, Heston at Home and In Search of Perfection are great books.
If you're into southern food, check out Sean Brock's Heritage and Ed Lee's Smoke & Pickles.
Finally, I'd suggest Modernist Cuisine at Home if you're up for splurging.
I don't know much about it, but as far as I know Modernist Cuisine: the art and science of cooking is supposed to be a modernist Bible.
Edit: Modernist Cuisine at Home is probably more suitable for your needs though.
this is the tome you want to elevate your meals to the Next Level. Mind you, it requires a sous vide machine & vacuum sealer.
What exactly do you mean by 'healthy?'
Is it about calorie reduction or getting more nutrients? Or both?
A very simple, tasty one is roasted cauliflower. Cauliflower really benefits from browning. Preferably roasting. Just wash and dry it (thoroughly), cut into equally sized pieces, whether it be bite size or "steaks," toss in olive oil, salt & pepper (and garlic if you want), spread evenly on a roasting pan, but don't crowd it too much, and roast in the oven on the middle rack or higher at about 425-450F until brown... even nearly black in a few places. It's so simple and delicious.
It makes a great soup too, just blend it with either veg or chicken stock and either some fresh parsley or thyme.
Another veg that does well with char is broccoli. Steam, blanch (heavily salt your blanching or steaming liquid) or microwave (if you must) the cut broccoli stalks until about half done, drain and dry. Toss in olive oil, salt, minced garlic and chili flakes and grill on very high heat or broil until slightly charred. You won't believe how good it is.
Some great books for veg dishes are:
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Tender by Nigel Slater (this one has a great chocolate beet cake)
The Art Of Simple Food II by Alice Waters (So many simple, classic veg preparations in this one.)
--
Regarding Mac & Cheese, here is page from Modernist Cuisine at Home:
http://i.imgur.com/E4dd4lQ.jpg
It involves using Sodium Citrate. Calm down! Don't be afraid. It's a type of salt derived from citrus fruits. If you like to cook with cheese this stuff will be your best friend. The only issue is you don't need very much of it, so you will need an accurate scale that can handle very small weights, but they're not that expensive and it'll pay for itself quickly in the amount you'll likely save in cheese costs, because.....
What it does is it helps emulsify the fats and solids of cheese when it melts and it can be used with just about every type of cheese that can melt, so that means you can use it to emulsify multiple types of cheeses at the same time. Why this matters for you? If you're trying to reduce calories you can mix your favorite cheeses with some lower calorie cheeses (like drained cottage cheese) and still end up with a really creamy sauce without having to add cream or butter. This stuff doesn't make Pasta & Cheese "healthy" but it does help you reduce the caloric value of a cheese dish without sacrificing texture... in fact it improves it.
Check it out: http://youtu.be/gOLgLi5ZJOY
Grocery Store and Manifold Destiny.
That does sound awkward. Ever give any thought to this? ;)
Engine Burritos
These are a staple of road trips, at least from my crowd. But perhaps you've never heard of them. The basic idea is to use your engine's heat to warm or cook food. Burritos are the most common, but I imagine you could use hot pockets or other frozen food depending on what you have under the hood.
So you unwrap a freshly bought burrito of some kind, or you take one that's in some state of thawing because you bought it 4 hours ago and you wrap it with two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Then you place or wire it on the engine and go for a drive. 1.5 hours or less (for more thawed food) and you have a meal. Here I'll usually top with salsa, sour cream, or guac and eat a whole pickled jalapeño on the side. I usually take a frisbee, turn it upside down, add a paper plate, and eat off that. Easy cleanup.
One good tip from the book Manifold Destiny was to scout out likely food cooking places on your engine, and ball up some aluminum foil and stuff it in place, then close the trunk. The foil balls will squish down to reveal how much space is available to fit foil packets.
Something I just thought of was that (some of) you vandwellers have it easy, because you can remove the center console to add and remove food without going outside into the weather. (I would pull over, not try to do this on the fly. You'll probably accidentally drop something valuable out on the interstate at 65 mph even if you had a helper.)
You want to place the food on the engine itself, and not on top of the air cleaner (too cold) or on top of the cat (way too hot, I had a car with the catalytic converter right inside the engine compartment)
I was able to tuck a package between the intake manifold and the engine on my last car. It was underneath the spark plug wires so it kinda held it in place. On other cars I've used thin solid copper wire to bind the package in place. Once I taped an MRE entree to the radiator coolant hose and drove for 4 hours. Since it only needed to be warm it worked out OK. But that was an MRE (Meals Rejected by Everyone).
For cans, I think the advice was to punch a hole in the top so things don't explode, wrap it in foil to protect from grease and oil, and stash under the hood. Obviously, it's important to make sure the cans will fit before you slam the hood.
Another time where I did some actual cooking, I had prepared a hamburger foil packet (a/k/a hobo meal, boy scout campfire dinner, etc) and stashed it on the engine when I left in the AM. Three hours later (125 miles, there was some traffic) it started smelling really good, but I pressed on another hour to my destination and found it overcooked.
I think I paid $25-30 or so for the book at the time because it was out of print. I thought that was a bit of a ripoff, because it's a pretty lightweight and lighthearted read. It's back in print so it's a bit cheaper now. Also there is a kindle edition. But i'm only going to give it a light recommendation. Here's the entry on worldcat, maybe you can find a local copy at a library to borrow.
There is this book "Manifold Destiny".
^It's ^a ^cookbook. ^^It's ^^a ^^cookbook!
Always wanted to do this. Friend had this book when I was younger, still think about it. Came back into print & got a copy a couple of years ago. One day.
Manifold Destiny: Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine
This made me think about a classic:
http://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
Methinks if you are creative, this problem can be solved...
Here a cookbook for cooking on your car manifold
https://www.amazon.ca/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232/ref=asc_df_1416596232/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292994351963&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1033718865164658907&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001340&hvtargid=pla-448676447507&psc=1
You can cook a potato on the road: wrap in tin foil, place in a hot, secure part of the engine compartment, and cook for about, oh, 100 miles.
http://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
(You probably shouldn't actually try this)
I actually bought this cookbook for that at a library book sale! I've yet to actually try anything though.
Here's what I'd buy if getting a home bar set up quickly with good stuff but not spending a ton.
Beefeater gin, Tito's vodka, Angostura 7yr rum or Barbancourt 8yr, (I don't know tequila, sorry), (don't get TN whiskey) Old Grand Dad Bourbon (get the 100 proof if possible), Rittenhouse Rye, Johnny Walker black scotch (JW black is very middle of the road, but I'm assuming you are not an accomplished scotch drinker), (I wouldn't bother with Irish Whiskey unless you particularly like it, and definitely don't bother with Canadian).
You should also get: Angostura bitters, Orange bitters, sweet & dry vermouths (Nolly Prat is fine). You may want to consider some liqueurs that are common in cocktails, such as Contreau (needed for Margaritas), Campari (Negronis), Absinthe (Sazeracs), etc. I always have a bottle of green Chartreuse, but it's not cheap. You will also want limes, lemons and oranges for garnishes and juice. You will need sugar, you can usually use cubes or you can make a simple syrup. Keep the syrup and the vermouths in the fridge. If you don't have one, you may want a basic bar tools set.
I would recommend getting The Bar Book to learn techniques and some good recipies as well. Start with classic cocktails, learn them well, and go on from there: the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, the Martini, the Daiquiri, etc.
Good luck!
To expand on this a bit, here's an excerpt from Jeffrey Morgenthaler's excellent new book with a few more examples of matching the sweetener and bitters to the spirit to make an old fashioned.
This is the Rum Old Fashioned from Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Bar Book. In the book, Jeffrey uses homemade orange bitters (the recipe for which is also in the book). I haven't gotten around to making those yet, so I used Angostura Orange instead.
Jeffrey also specifies 12-year-old rum for the recipe, but I suppose you could use any good sipping rum for this cocktail.
I'm not sure there's going to be a concrete answer for this.
Mostly it's just because of a change in drinking tastes in the last five years or so. A lot of cities are seeing a reemergence of the classic American cocktail. As the Millennial generation continues to age (graduate school, settle into work, explore social bar scenes), many are less interested in two ingredient collins drinks and more interested in craft cocktails. Because of this desire for more "artisan" drinks, there has been a growth in craft beers and liquors. We're seeing more and more small batch gins, whiskeys, tequila, vodkas, etc. With this growth comes clubs, and conventions where craftsmen, brewers, distillers, and hobbyists can get together to share knowledge and have a good time.
If you're interested in cocktails there are resources like The Savoy Cocktail Book, [The Bar Book] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145211384X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1), and The Drunken Botanist.
Most of my knowledge comes from an interest in cocktails after years of working as a server and more recently as a bartender.
This is a good read for any bartender IMO https://www.amazon.com/dp/145211384X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5Cb6AbNZ0SHGG
You’re welcome! If you’re interested in learning more, I highly recommend The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler ( u/le_cigare_volant ). It’s emphasis is on technique with some science and history thrown in while discarding a lot of the pretentiousness that comes with this stuff.
No grocery lists, but if you really want to learn how to cook, do yourself a favor and pick this up on amazon
Zwei Bücher die dir von Grund auf an alle Prinzipien des Kochens erklären sind:
https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830
Gibt's auch ne Serie auf Netflix.
https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Chef-Cooking-Learning-Anything/dp/1328519163/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=Four+hour+chef&amp;qid=1557678541&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1
Kannst die ersten 50-100 Seiten überspringen, wenn dich Lernprinzipien nicht interessieren. Danach kommen aber einfache Rezepte die dir spezielle Kochtechniken beibringen.
https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830
There's a new book called "Salt Fat Acid Heat" which looks amazing. I checked it out from the library but haven't started it yet.
https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830
I found it for $13.73. Here's the link
It's $13 right now on Amazon, that's a pretty bangin price. Might have to get myself a christmas present early!
&#x200B;
https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=salt+fat+acid+heat&qid=1574274029&sr=8-1
Alton Brown's cookbooks are quite good, so I'll add my voice to those recommending them.
If you don't need color glossy photos, "The New Best Recipe" from the folks at Cook's Illustrated magazine has great recipes and thorough instructions.
When you someday move beyond the basics, I'd also throw in a plug for Michael Ruhlman's "Ratio" and Jacques Pepin's "Complete Techniques". Ruhlman's book breaks some recipes (like doughs, batters, and custards) down to their basic components and will help you understand how to modify or even improvise with some kinds of recipes, and Pepin's book has great illustrations that can help get you through some of the techniques mentioned by not described by cookbooks. Pepin's Techniques might even prove useful to you now as a reference, depending on what other cookbooks you're working with.
If you're a complete beginner you don't need a book of recipes: You need a book on techniques.
Something like Jacques Pepin's New Complete Techniques will teach you HOW to cook, not what to cook. Then you can find good recipes all over the place.
Jacques Pepin’s “Techniques”
Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques https://www.amazon.com/dp/1579129110/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AmdCCbPKNCZ8D
Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques
French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David
While it does have recipes, it also has a ton of pictures and descriptions of a variety of techniques: New Complete Techniques, by Jacques Pepin
Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques
In the description it says this one combines the two.
If ya really wanna wow 'em.
It's my favorite kitchen appliance, bar none! When you do get one (and after-Christmas sales are right around the corner), chow.com and (believe it or not) the food network website have some amazing slow cooker recipes. My go-to cookbooks are
Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes!
and
Slow Cooker Revolution for when I'm feeling fancier (some of the recipes require more prep and ingredients but are usually worth the effort)
You might consider this. From Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen - so recipes are usually pretty good.
This book has recipes that run the gamut from super easy to very hard and it got me through the first 6 months of our daughter's life:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699/
Cook's Illustrated Slow Cooker Revolution.
One working burner? Ouch! Well, that means you'll have to learn one pan dishes. This can be fine for things like eggs and what not.
Check your local library for these books:
The Best One-Dish Suppers
Slow Cooker Revolution (assuming you get a Slow Cooker - my local Goodwill always has one but they are even cheap new.)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699
If you're looking for other odd slow cooker goodness, try Slow Cooker Revolution.
They have all sorts of fun stuff, and on the more traditional side, a beef stew my dad said he would "pay a rather large amount for in a restaurant".
I have a wife who likes to cook.. She actually gets way into it and I don't make anything better by participating (I get in the way).
For my first project in our new place, I actually put up a little LCD TV for her so she can be entertained while she makes delicious stuff.... I go outside, have a cigar, and be thankful.
I do know she's dumped a beef roast and a jar of pepperoncinis in that thing in the morning, and by 7:00 at night I'm having delicious shredded beef sammiches.
To answer your question directly (and I texted my wife to confirm this) the book she uses most is Slow Cooker Revolution She has a shelf of cookbooks and this one gets the most use by far.
Hope this helps, enjoy the new place, and maybe some new grub!
When you get back to the land down under, you can also order this [book] (http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1427109580&amp;sr=8-1-spell&amp;keywords=Franklyn+BBQ) that's coming out soon.
America's Test Kitchen has amazed me! The science behind it... love this book.
I live in Austin and I've been going to Franklin since he was operating out of a food trailer and the wait was only 15 minutes. His fatty brisket is the best, followed by the pork ribs. I'm not a sausage kind of guy, personally. While the brisket is so good you don't need any sauce, his espresso mix is worth the taste.
I introduced Franklin as a starting point because he's become a national BBQ icon and his very transparent about his process. He has the webisodes about his process and his [http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200](cookbook comes out in a few weeks). I also suggested him because he cooks Texas BBQ style, which in my opinion is better than other regional styles because it doesn't rely as heavily on sauces and complex flavors.
Is he the only person in the area slinging beef for a living? Of course not. Is he passionate and willing to teach others like it was taught to him by Mueller (check out John Mueller Meat Co. or John's sister's La Barbecue if you're ever in Austin), absolutely.
Want to second the crock pot idea. Frankly, my wife and I were doing this well before I was diagnosed.
Prep on a Sunday afternoon, put it in the slow cooker monday morning, and by Monday evening you've got a few days worth of meals.
And, I couldn't recommend this cookbook more highly. They've got a few recipes in there (specifically, Tomatillo Chicken Tacos and Pozole) that are staples now in my house.
https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Cooker-Revolution-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto
And if you don't want to read it, BBQ with Franklin is available for streaming on PBS's website - there's even an episode about building a competition cooker out of an old propane tank!
http://www.pbs.org/show/bbq-franklin/
We do dead-easy BBQ chicken and enchilada meat all the time, and then freeze portions for later use since it's no more work to make a large amount.
The trick to good crock pot recipes is that you don't get any browning, really, so you need to do something to make up for that. A lot of good recipes we've used include soy sauce, fish sauce, mushrooms, etc. or do tricks like zapping the aromatics/spices in the microwave for a few minutes before dumping in the crock.
The America's Test Kitchen crock pot cookbook is awesome:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699
I watched those and my wife got me this book which is awesome.
America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Cooker-Revolution-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699
The only one that I own and have read is Aaron Franklin's book. It's kind of a mashup of a cook book and a biography. It really does a good job of discussing his thoughts and methods on the BBQ process (which he has a lot to say about) while intertwining into that his life story, how he started, and how he has reached the level of success that he has. Tons of good visual imagery as well. If you're at all interested in BBQ, it's a must read without a doubt.
America's Test Kitchen book will solve all your problems:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1933615699?pc_redir=1410449452&amp;robot_redir=1
They produce the most amazing cookbooks and recipes. Other than Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, they are my go to for food related issues.
Exactly - it's sort of a lazy alternative to cooking in a pan that I picked up in this book. You could probably skip this step, but I think it helps to steam off a bit of the moisture in the onions and it's a good way to mix the flavors up a bit before adding to the slow cooker.
I've had pretty good success with the recipes from Slow Cooker Revolution from America's Test Kitchen. There is a bit more prep involved instead of dump-and-run, but the results are always yummy. Favorite recipe = Bachelor Beef Stew
This
This has some really great recipes, some of which you can find online from blogs
http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699
http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1299748227&amp;sr=8-1
Cook's Illustrated, Crock Pot, what more could you want? I got it last week, first 20 recipes are all soups.
Charlie Papazian's - The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is what got me started. It's not overly technical, but it gives you step by step instructions on what equipment you need, what the brewing process actually entails, and how to store and care for your beer. One stop shop.
There is no reason you can All grain first. You will just need more time and some extra equipment. Find a good book that will walk you through the steps and set aside 4-5hours for brewing and clean up.
The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is the book I started with.
My copy is from 1991 so I haven't seen the changes in the newer version.
Sure, tons! In no particular order:
Also, How to Brew is based off a blog, and a lot of the book is on there. If you don't know which book you'd prefer start with A Crash Course in Brewing and decide if it's for you or if you'd like something a little more readable.
Sorry if that's a total data dump, I just love chatting about and getting new people into brewing. If you ever give it a try, let me know how it goes!
https://smile.amazon.com/Complete-Joy-Homebrewing-Fourth-Revised/dp/0062215752/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
This is the best guide.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Joy-Homebrewing-Fourth-Revised/dp/0062215752
There's a fourth edition now.
Here's my advice to a beginner from a recent beginner.
A lot of people start with a small batch kit like Mr. Beer or Brooklyn Brew Shop that they got as a gift or bought on a whim. However, if I were going to recommend a 1-gal starter kit, I'd probably go with something like the one from Northern Brewer. Or you can get a 5-gal setup for just a little bit more and you get a lot more beer for you money, and it's really not that much more work. However, it was nice learning the process on a 1-gal batch, because it's a lot more manageable and you can easily do it on your stove with a pot you already have. Also, if you stick with it, and upgrade to bigger batches, you will still be able to find good uses for your old 1-gal equipment.
Whether you decide to test the waters with a small batch or jump right into a 5-gal batch, I would do an extract w/ specialty grain kit for your first brew. All grain is not that much harder, especially with small batches, but for your first few brews it's nice to just learn the process without having too many variables to worry about.
Also, buy a copy of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing or How to Brew or both and read the first chapter or so and you will have a good idea of what you're in for.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062215752/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
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This was my first. I'm working on a Dave Miller book now.
You can get spaghetti and fake meat crumble to make a nice meal. It's not so much about what you can eat, but how you can make stuff out of what you have. Try getting a vegan cookbook, they'll have a lot of the things you used to eat, but just substituted with their vegan counterparts. I've made chili in the crock pot, black bean burgers, pasta, spaghetti, quesadillas, burritos, stir fry, you name it.
Edit: https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902
Here are some websites that have relatively easy recipes that you can try.
http://theveganstoner.blogspot.com/
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianfamilies/qt/collegeveg.htm
http://www.collegiatevegan.com/recipes
http://www.foodandloathing.com/2012/10/the-easiest-beginners-vegan-recipes.html
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.asp
http://www.tryveg.com/
In general it's pretty straightforward to put together meals such as stir frys, rice and bean variations, pasta, and stews. They could be good go-to vegan meals.
If you're looking for books Isa Does It has been well received.
Even though I'm not vegan (just vegetarian), I really love Isa Does It and Appetite for Reduction, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Every recipe I've tried from those books has turned out amazing, and most of them are cheap and easy to throw together.
I also second the Flavor Bible recommendation. It's useful for those times when you're looking for a creative way to use an ingredient, but you don't want to follow a whole recipe.
>Tofu is gross
Yes, it is. It is an acquired taste, and even then you have to do it right. It is still probably my least favorite protein as a vegetarian. What is less gross are the latest fake meats like http://beyondmeat.com/, but if you do eat meat, I'm not sure there is a compelling reason for those. For that reason, I'd suggest going with
http://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-It-Amazingly-Delicious/dp/0316221902/
Everything in that will be good. Add meat to the ones you want to, but they're all pretty good in their original vegan state. It is cheap and healthy, but you must have the "well-stocked pantry". So if you do get the book, pop the bucks for Mirin, peanut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, tamari, etc.
If you have a slow cooker and want to do Indian, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1572841303/ has a lot of great recipes too. It also has non slow-cooker recipes, but if I recall correctly they were more often ones involving a slow cooker.
From cookbook linked, which I highly recommend!
Shiitake mushrooms make a great substitute for clams in this dish, the perfect texture.
Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316221902/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_p6rHzbPV4TDS4
I've found the biggest reasons people quit veganism after deciding that it's the right thing to do is:
I think that #1 is most important to nail down, because if you're already convinced that veganism is the right thing to do, you shouldn't have much problem sticking with it unless you run into food-related problems. This video covers just about everything you need to know about vegan food. Basically:
Eating vegan won't feel hard or restricting at all if you know how, and what to cook. Just like non-vegan food, vegan food can taste disgusting or flat-out amazing. Don't be discouraged if the first vegan food you make turns out terribly, because it probably will. Figure out what you didn't like about what you made, and try to improve it for next time. Vegan cooking can be very different, and it will probably take getting used to.
If you're willing to buy a cookbook, But I Could Never Go Vegan! should be perfect. It's recipes are split up based on common excuses or worries people have when it comes to vegan cooking ("But I love sea food!", "What about cheese?", "Why does vegan food need to be so healthy!", etc). Thug Kitchen also has a lot of great, and healthy, recipes. They have a trailer if you're interested in seeing the, uh, "tone" of the book. Lastly, there's Isa Does It. I'd say her recipes are a bit fancier and take a little more effort to prepare, but if you're willing to learn she'll teach you everything from what to stock your pantry with to how to the different ways to chop tempeh. There shouldn't be any problem following anything in any of these books if you're willing to read the directions.
I don't personally watch a lot of vegan cooking channels on youtube, but it might be worth checking out TheVeganZombie, Peaceful Cuisine for asian food, and the channels here.
On staying motivated, I think it's pretty much required to constantly be reminded by why you want to be vegan in the first place. Regularly visit vegan communities like here, watch vegan, environmental, or animal rights-related documentaries like cowspiracy, earthlings, or Forks Over Knives, subscribe to vegan youtube channels like Bite Size Vegan or The Vegan Activist. It takes a lot more willpower than most people have to stay vegan in a community where everyone around you hasn't given the ethics or environmental aspects of meat production much thought. Worst of all, they might even view you as... weird... for even bothering. Just try to keep in mind the reasons other people get defensive, or even hostile when bringing up veganism, stay calm, and all will be well.
I wish you the best of luck, hopefully you found some of this wall of text useful :)
Also...buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902
>I need to learn new recipes.
I recently went vegan (about 2 months) and have found the following resources super valuable for my moderately foodie tastebuds:
Minimalist Baker
Avant Garde Vegan
Isa Does It
*Formatting on mobile is hard :/
https://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053
I really enjoyed this book and learned enough from it to adjust recipes more to my taste. I hear it recommended all the time and my chef buddy said every chef he worked for owned this book.
Bonus: Rosemary bacon gugelhupf and home cured bacon.
Hash, Eggs, and gugelhupf recipes taken from Das Cookbook and the bacon from Charcuterie.
I used the recipe out of Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn. I let it cure for a few days longer than the recipe due to an unexpectedly busy weekend. The end result was too salty but as per the recipe it's fixable by blanching slices right before you fry them and it worked like a charm.
When people say "Ruhlman's" recipe, are you talking about https://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8? Should I just ignore the bad reviews of it?
Thanks, i'll end up picking that up. What are your thoughts about... Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (Revised and Updated) ?
http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=0SX7GN8QX81S3J2HTGE1
If you're new to sausage making I'd recommend this book, it's got good sausage recipes and lots of tips. Only deviation I make is I only use maybe a quarter of the ice cold water they recommend putting in the sausage, otherwise it comes out a bit crumbly I find.
Oh man. I've been at smoking for only a couple years now, but Meathead's book is so ridiculously helpful and interesting. I've only read through the first 50 pages or so, but it's ridiculous. A must read.
Not Kamado specific, but super useful:
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Hj4IDb1ZBC3AV
Smoking can really be broken down into a couple different things.
I would highly recommend starting off with a small/inexpensive cut of meat, and working up. Top Round is a great choice. Pork Chops, Polish Sausage... get those down and move up to a rack of ribs, or a pork shoulder. Once you're confident with those, move on to a Brisket.
Once you're happy with those results then try different things like injections, various spice rubs.
My preferred books are:
Franklin BBQ - A Meat Smoker's Manifesto & Meathead: Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
You need one more thing Meathead https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KtOyzbWJ0AV9G
According to this book the flavorants in smoke don't adhere well to cooked meat.
It's a great book by a great guy, I'd highly recommend it if you're into grilling or meat in general really.
https://www.amazon.com/Meathead-Science-Great-Barbecue-Grilling/dp/054401846X
Meathead’s book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_zd0ODbRMDPP7M
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
660 curries is fantastic. The author is a James Beard winner as well.
After reading the reviews for that book, I think you should get this one.
Madhur Jaffrey is really the source for Indian cookbooks. But I'd actually like to mention two others as well:
660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer is a big one, with recipes covering all levels of complexity. Some are great, some aren't, but there's just so much content in this book that it's hard to beat for the price.
[The New Indian Slow Cooker by Neela Paniz] (http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Indian-Slow-Cooker/dp/1607746190/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1411415629&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=neela+paniz) is a brand new book, but I've had access to a couple of the recipes for a few months now and here's the deal: Neela's recipes are occasionally complex. I've taken a few cooking classes from her and her "normal" vindaloo, for example, is really too long for anyone to do unless you have the whole afternoon to devote to it. But this book, due to its "slow cooker" focus, dumbs down a lot of steps without sacrificing much of the flavor, so it's a good compromise. What's more, even though it's focused for a slow cooker, you can easily convert it to a stovetop with very little effort.
Are you referring to this book? How do you like it?
This is the best book.
I've been using Iyer's 660 Curries. Loads of information and a really cheap book
There isn't one Indian cuisine. There's a few dozen, at least.
For a somewhat US focused book:
http://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874
For a somewhat worse printing, with better recipes: http://www.amazon.com/India-Cookbook-Pushpesh-Pant/dp/0714859028
Reading the reviews will probably help.
I like the "Essential Cookbook" series from Penguin. These are definitely closer to what I would eat at home than the recipes in the more popular cookbooks.
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Kerala-Cookbook-Vijayan-Kannampilly/dp/0143029509
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Marathi-Cookbook-Kaumudi-Marathe/dp/0143068024
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Andhra-Cookbook-Hyderabadi-Bilkees/dp/0140271848
http://www.amazon.com/The-Pondicherry-Kitchen-Lourdes-Tirouvanziam-Louis/dp/9381626995
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Sindhi-Cookbook-Aroona-Reejhsinghani/dp/0143032011
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Cookbook-Maria-Teresa-Menezes/dp/0141000872
http://www.amazon.com/The-Essential-North-East-Cookbook/dp/0143030272
http://www.amazon.com/Saraswat-Mahila-Rasachandrika-Second-Paperback/dp/B00RWSJ7M0
SAMAITHU PAR (vol 1-4) is a book aimed at Tamil Iyer vegetarian cooking.
If you want authors more aimed at an occidental cook, I would suggest Madhur Jaffrey, Sanjeev Kapoor, Tarla Dalal, Vikas Khanna and Julie Sawhney
You should check out this cookbook! It's one of my favorites. I really enjoy cooking Indian food.
Probably my favorite:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0761137874/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511546773&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=660+curries+by+raghavan+iyer
Easy, delicious recipes and after cooking a number of them, you won't even need a cookbook anymore!!
I'd suggest Ruhlman's Twenty, he goes over techniques and then has GOOD recipes you can apply said techniques. http://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438
If you want something more in depth start looking up books by Harold McGee.
One of my favorites, but any of Ruhlman's books are worth getting.
ruhlman's twenty
It's an interesting question. One take is Ruhlman's Twenty. It lists what he believes are the twenty essential techniques and, give or take, five recipes for each one. Check it out from your local library, buy it used, new, or whatever. Seems to be what you are looking for.
Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook's Manifesto
This is great advice. One of the best instructional "cookbooks" in my opinion, is Ruhlman's Twenty. I hesitate to call ot a cookbook, as it is more like a cooking manual. It covers 20 essential principles and ingredients that everyone should know. For example, there is a whole chapter on just salt and how to use it properly. Each chapter also has a bunch of recipes which then utilize the concepts taught in that chapter. On top of all that, the pictures are great. The instructional photos are not glamoir shots. They show how the food should actually look while you're cooking it, and include examples of what it will look like if you do it wrong (overcook, undercook, not stirred properly, etc.)
I bought it for my wife (who was already a great cook,) and her cooking improved across the board. I've never been a great cook, but this book helped me build a foundation that made me confident about how to use eggs and onions, as well as roast the perfect chicken everytime.
I recommemd the book to anyone.
I'd go Ruhlman's Twenty. Does a great job of explaining 20 "things" every cook must know, and why.
https://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438
Tips I find help me out:
I'll recommend Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, Michael Ruhlman's Ruhlman's Twenty and Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For the Food. Plain English instructions for very simple recipes requiring few ingredients.
The great thing about cooking is that there is no template! Do what tastes good to you! That said, there are plenty of cookbooks for beginners that will give you basic ideas. This book by Michael Rhulman will give you several recipes for each of 20 basic cooking techniques. It's a great base to start from.
On wine, I completely jettisoned the idea that whites are for some things and reds are for others. You should drink what you like is the bottom line and be less concerned about pairings. If you like reds then just have a light bodied red, like a Burgundy, with chicken or fish and save the big Boudreaux for your steak. Likewise, there's no reason you can't have a nice oaky Chardonnay with a tomato based pasta, etc.
Here's what you really want:
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman: pretty much everything you'd like to do as a normal home cook will be in here. Debone a chicken, choose the best meat, veggies, fruits, how to cook every vegetable, fruit or meat you're likely to use, in different ways, with variations. Breakfasts, dinners, deserts, technique, theory. It'll cover about everything you'd want to learn.
If you want to go a bit further into theory:
Ruhlman's Twenty: twenty topics for the home cook to study and learn, with applicable recipes. The basics every interested cook ought to know. Think, Salt, Water, Onion, Acid, Egg, Butter, Dough, Batter, Sugar, Sauce, Vinaigrette, Soup, Sauté, Roast, Braise, Poach, Grill, Fry, Chill.
That'll get you pretty far, I reckon.
Also you know, thinking about this, here's my best advice for you:
Try to move away from the idea of needing "recipes" and think about cooking more holistically. You don't really need a recipe for a roasted chicken. You need a chicken and an oven and a basic idea of time/temp. After that it's all in what you like? Coat it with olive oil? Sure. Add lemon pepper? Sure. Use BBQ rub? Why not! Stuff the inside with an onion and some rosemary? Go for it. Use butter rather than olive oil? Absolutely.
So much of cooking is not about adhering to recipes but understanding the basics of how to cook and then applying your own tastes.
A fantastic book, if you're really interested in learning how to cook w/out having to rely on recipes all the time is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438
The book takes 20 cooking techniques - things like braising, frying, baking, sauteeing, and explains how and when you would use them. He does provide recipes in each category, but overall you learn how to apply the techniques to just about anything and it really opens your understanding of how to cook ANYTHING.
I'm not sure about yeast propagation specifically, but Water: A Comprehensive Guide is a good book check check out for all your brewing water related knowledge.
I'd wager that they mostly just make sure there's at least 50ppm Calcium in the water to maintain optimal yeast health.
IMO you can make pretty decent beer with bottled spring water. Depending on the chemistry of that spring water, it'll make some beers better than others, but spring water generally has a mixture of minerals that tastes pretty good and this often translates to good-tasting beer.
I'd say that the differences you get from water treatment are subtle but effective in making the difference between a pretty good beer and a very good beer.
This book is generally regarded as the classic source for water treatment in homebrewing.
You do not need a pH reader if you use a calculation like that in Bru 'n' Water. I don't have a pH reader, but I definitely want one now.
Have you checked out the Water brewing book?
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
If you havent already checked out the Brewing Elements series I would highly recommend doing so. They are fantastic for geeking out about brewing. I havent read Hops yet but Yeast was fascinating and Water is pretty advanced but really informative.
Thanks I'll give that a read when I finish John Palmer and Colin Kaminski's Water book. Is the article what you personally do each time?
Mostly curious of what everyone does personally - not necessarily what 'should' be done :D.
I use the Bru'N Water Sheet and it has yet to fail me yet for it's estimates. I sent in my tap water to Ward Laboratories for analysis, plugged those numbers in, then adjust my desired water for each beer. it took a tad bit of practice to learn to use, but now I can do it in my sleep and understand why I am doing these certain adjustments.
Also, I recommend the Book Water (https://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1493317229&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=water+book) I read this first before getting into water chemistry stuff and it was great.
Start here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0470421355/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518328836&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=cia+cookbook&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41rNtxGGDYL&amp;ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316118400/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518328931&amp;sr=1&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_p=2972396462&amp;pd_rd_wg=nq5yM&amp;pf_rd_r=YWY3G2TH6PPKJDW69WQG&amp;pf_rd_s=mobile-sx-bottom-slot&amp;pf_rd_t=9701&amp;pd_rd_i=0316118400&amp;pd_rd_w=Ra06B&amp;pf_rd_i=culinary+school+book&amp;pd_rd_r=6d45f769-fe0f-4f25-870c-9833a3a902fb&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1579129110/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518329071&amp;sr=8-2&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=jacques+pepin&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51Ob6blpRqL&amp;ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0778802566/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518329157&amp;sr=8-2&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=knife+skills+illustrated&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=513Oqyg2uPL&amp;ref=plSrch
My library falls into two categories: Books of the Era, for contemporary recipes, sources, and insight; and Modern, for dissection, history, and expansions upon classic cocktails. Both have two mainstays that I bring with me to every convention:
Books of the Era:
The Mixicologist by C.F. Lawlor
How to Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas. I have both the 1862 and the 1876 reprinted editions.
Modern:
Bitters by Ed Anderson
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh
A good book is (the appropriately titled) Bitters that gives a history of bitters as well as recipes. Amazon link There are also a lot of recipes online.
I have this book though I can't give any review because before this moment I've never even cracked the cover. It seems to be a good all-around book, including history, techniques, and recipes for both bitters and cocktails.
Make your own! Seriously, get this book and start experimenting. There's a great orange bitters recipe in there along with a bunch of other great stuff.
I should mention the process is a month or two, so you may still need to find a temporary replacement meanwhile...
If I understood correctly, bitters are made by using a high proof clear spirit (like vodka) to extract the essences of herbs/veggies/fruits/etc. The old name for essences with only one flavor was tincture, and the mixture of two or more tinctures or one made with two or more flavors is a bitters. This is the book I read about the history and making of bitters.
My girlfriend just got me Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas for Christmas, and it's got tons of fascinating information on bitters.
One interesting idea I ran across was to rub a dash of bitters between your palms to release the aromatics and allow you to smell all the complexity that you would otherwise miss if you just tried to taste the bitters straight. I tried it last night and was amazed at the differences between all the bitters in my pantry.
In addition to Bar Book and Death & Co.'s, I like "Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas" by Brad Thomas Parsons.
Yes, as well as Bitters: A Spirited History by Brad Thomas Parsons and especially Field Guide to Bitters and Amari by Mark Bitterman. All three excellent reads with a little different focus. If you're wanting to DIY, Field Guide is the way to go. As far as gardening tips go, I can't say I'm as well-versed in that category.
Field Guide to Bitters and Amari
Bitters: A Spirited History
Liquid Intelligence also has some neat infusion and bitters-making sections, but it's mostly centered around rapid infusions w the iSi Whipper.
They teach you the "easy way", and by easy way I mean using sour mix and taking shortcuts like that. There are plenty of good resources online and amazing cocktail books you can buy that have the original recipes for classic cocktails, as well as the proper way to do things behind the bar.
Learn from reputable sources and from good bartenders. If you're interested here's a couple good reads:
As far as knowledge goes, you can learn a lot from reading and studying. For me personally, I love this kind of stuff and I'm constantly trying to learn as much as I can so I could hardly say it feels like actual studying. As for technical skills, learn from people better than you. No matter how good you get, there is always someone out there you can learn from. A lot of how I work I've picked up from watching great bartenders, everything from small stuff like the way I carry a bottle to the way I move behind the bar has come from watching, learning and implementing it into how I bartend.
The coffee-pecan, cherry hazelnut and grapefruit bitters came out of the bitters book. I'll definitely be posting pictures of the final results. We're planning on having a drink night in May to try all of these.
It's also an important part of making bitters with dry spices. That's where I've gotten my knowledge of it from. There's a great book called Bitters that goes into detail about handling spices when doing infusions.
Not just bourbon but highly relevant, history and used of bitters
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1580083595
I think you'd like Alton Brown's book I'm Just Here for the Food. It does contain recipes, but its focus is teaching you to understand how cooking techniques work so that you can apply that knowledge as you will. Relatedly, I've heard CookWise is something like what you're looking for.
Also, get your hands on Alton Brown's book and watch every episode of Good Eats you can find.
Yes, AB's books are excellent. I own his first 2 books and they are excellent for learning technique.
I'm Just Here For The Food
http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Cooking/dp/1584790830/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404671790&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=i%27m+just+here+for+the+food
I'm Just Here For More Food
http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-More-Food/dp/1584793414/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404671790&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=i%27m+just+here+for+the+food
Alton Brown is a god. If only I could possibly absorb all his lessons- I learn so much from each 30 minute episode.
Also, his cook books are golden; if you have an inclination to buy a cookbook, I'd recommend one of his, like I'm Just Here For The Food which explains basic and more complicated cooking methods in a fun way.
I highly recommend getting a copy of Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food.
He really teaches the hows and whys of different cooking methods and then gives you recipes to demonstrate those methods. Then you have a better understanding of braising, sauteing, roasting, frying, broiling and when to use which method for what types of cuts of meat or veg. Once I was really able to grasp the science of what occurs chemically to food when cooking it, it helped a great deal in improving all of my meals.
Lot of comments on smoking, which would be an incredibly positive accomplishment on its own. I wanted to comment on the eating out. Other than my wife, my greatest love is cooking. I'm a cheap bastard, and my love of cooking is the best thing for that. It may not be for you, but cooking can be a really amazing hobby that also saves you money and provides you with a sense of accomplishment.
I will always recommend Alton Brown to people learning to cook. It's a great way to save money (my wife and I eat great and spend only $300 on food a month) as well as a hobby that has quick, positive results.
This book talked plenty about the theory behind cooking. I am kind of a geek when it comes to cooking. I enjoy knowing "why" instead of just "how".
http://www.amazon.ca/Im-Just-Here-Food-Cooking/dp/1584790830/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1291937502&amp;sr=8-4
Hi Alton,
I just wanted to say that I absolutely loved your book I'm Just Here for the Food. I actually found it at the SF public library, and having seen Good Eats and knowing how entertaining you were, I figured it was worth a try. I was right! It was the first cook book I had ever seen which tried to teach the theory behind cooking as opposed to just being a collection of recipes, and I found it to be both a handy guide to cooking, and also just a fun and interesting read in general (I really liked the food-science kind of approach).
No questions, just wanted to say thanks for the entertainment, and the help learning to cook!
http://www.foodsubs.com
And also, http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1584790830?pc_redir=1409138276&amp;robot_redir=1
(Or just watch Good Eats)
I love Alton Brown for beginners and his book "I'm Just Here for the Food" is a wonderful place to start. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1584790830/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1520825381&amp;sr=8-3&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=i%27m+just+here+for+the+food&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51RK497861L&amp;ref=plSrch
He has a few others that I've found helpful but this beautifully explains the basics for beginners and the science behind cooking.
I agree that PETA dropped the ball with that particular ad. I don't think that making overweight people feel bad about themselves is the way to go, as far as bringing them to the vegan side, or for inspiring people to lose weight either. But it's possible that by changing her diet to a healthy plant-based diet could really affect your mom's weight. It could also go a long way towards improving her self-esteem issues. Doing something for others (in this case, for the animals) often results in one feeling good about oneself. Anyway, it sounds like you're already trying to nudge her in that direction. Maybe you could show her some low-fat vegan recipe blogs or get her a book like Appetite for Reduction, or the Forks over Knives cookbook...if you haven't already done that!
Okay, I suck at responding, but here's some stuff I do!
I recently kicked my butt into gear and what helped me:
I looove cooking. Making vegan food has helped me tremendously. My favorite vegan blog is Oh She Glows. She makes my favorite kind of vegan food which is the kind that doesn't have non-vegan substitutes (the food just happens to be vegan, no faux meat or fake cheese etc) and it has reasonable ingredients that I can find in the grocery store by my house. Everything I've made from that site was delicious. I own this book and it is fabulous.
I bought a water bottle like this and it makes it easier to drink than wide-mouth ones. I have an app on my phone, Water My Body, so I know how much I have left to drink that day.
Green smoothies are fucking delicious. I feel better every time I have one. The most basic is Almond Milk + Banana + Spinach but you can make all kinds. The 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge starts July 1, so sign up for free! There are a lot of other great recipes at Green Monster Movement.
I am a horrible person with no sleep. Coffee helps, but only so much. I had to start changing my habits so I could sleep on time. I set an alarm to tell me to stop doing what I was doing and start getting ready for bed. I got f.lux so my bright screen wouldn't keep me up (they have it for Android and jailbroken iPhones too!). I started reading before bed and taking melatonin. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Meditation has helped tremendously. It isn't exercise, but it makes me feel better. Even if I do it for five mins a day.
I am going to be honest. I've been lazy lately with exercise. But my favorite places to get the job done (since I don't have a gym membership at the moment)
Hang Tight - MarC will kick your ass. Her southern drawl will make it hard to hate her, though.
Blogilates - My favorite YT exercise guru. I love her workout calendars, because it makes planning exercise super easy.
Let me know if you need me to explain or elaborate on anything!
One of my favorite cook books is "Appetite for Reduction" which is a vegan low calorie cookbook.
The recipes are delicious and really helped a super non-vegan like myself give more veggies a try!
I don't take any supplements, but I really, really, really should be taking b12. Like other's said, b12 is only really available from animal products.
I eat a LOT of spinach. Like, half a bag a day. I've not found it too hard to substitute meat in my meals. One pot meals like curries, stir fries, chilli, etc are really easy to veganise. You can swap the meat for chickpeas, other beans, lentils, soya mince, soya chunks etc, and still get a great tasting meal. The key is to use the right herbs and spices.
Tofu is delicious, but only if you cook it properly, otherwise it can be like...pannacota type texture. Make sure you press it!
I bought myself this book: Appetite for Reduction and it was a massive help.
Good luck! And don't give yourself too much grief if you slip up every so often. Give yourself a grace period to ease into it.
Rice milk is generally low in fat (and calories), but it's a little too sweet for me. Your mileage may vary. I like almond and cashew milk, but that may be a little too high in fat for you.
Daiya is a soy-free cheese alternative, but I haven't tried it. I've heard good things about it, though, and it's supposed to melt like "real" cheese.
As for yogurt, I've only had soy and coconut, so not a lot of recommendations there. So Delicious is a good brand.
Edited to add: Appetite for Reduction has some good low-fat vegan recipes that you could easily incorporate meat into if you'd like.
Appetite for Reduction
I'm vegan and limiting caloric intake, but I can manage it with protein shakes! This awesome mix with 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk and a banana is about 300 calories and keeps me full for hours, while giving me nearly 1/2 of my daily protein!
My second favorite safety net is using Isa Chandra's Appetite for Reduction recipes (she's my favorite chef of all time!), especially chickpea and quinoa salad - it's so versatile and super high in protein.
If you cut out the dairy, you'll probably have an easier time reducing your overall calories, so look for vegan alternatives if necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to PM!
I have been vegetarian for 13 years. I use the big recipe sites like allrecipes, www.food.com , www.foodnetwork.com , www.epicurious.com , plus some veg-specific ones like www.vegweb.com and www.vegetariantimes.com . Honestly, I would suggest picking up a cookbook. If you don't want to spend any money you could even check out a couple from the library. They usually have some decent veg cookbooks. It is very easy to find low fat/low calorie vegetarian cookbooks. I have a couple of vegan ones that I use a lot because my husband is vegan (I'm not): Appetite for Reduction and The Happy Herbivore Both authors have some good vegan recipes on their websites too: www.happyherbivore.com and www.theppk.com
Another thing that is really simple is just to modify the things you like to eat now and make them vegetarian. My coworkers always ask me what I eat but besides the fact that I tend to eat more world cuisine than the average meat-eating person I eat a lot of the same things that they do. Lasagna, stir fries, casseroles, tacos, most anything you can think of. So my advice is to just think of whatever you want to eat and either modify it yourself or google a recipe for it to make it meatless and low-calorie.
Just a couple of links to help you out.
The stonesoup has great (mostly) 5 ingredient recipes and can be easily made vegetarian.
I highly recommend How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and Appetite for Reduction for simple, basic recipes.
Also, quesadillas are a great, quick meal on a stove. If you're looking for a good vegan recipe, these Smoky White Bean Quesadillas are awesome and can be made easily without a food processor.
And this Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce (scroll down) is delicious, cheap and easy with pasta or steamed veggies. I had a kitchen this size when I studied abroad in France a couple years ago and it can be done. You just have to learn to be creative. :) Good luck!
I believe that my wife got it from Appetite for Reduction http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498
So, no, it's not yeast but it is fermentation. Sandor Katz whose recipe /u/project-MKULTRA is using, from Wild Fermentation website has, quite literally written the book on fermentation. The Art if Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World is a great read. What /u/Project-MKULTRA is doing is safe, proper fermentation. Why the hostility?
Edit: proper link formatting
Hangon that's BS, some fermenting foods are exactly what we evolved to love - the overripe fruit contains shedloads of sugars that are great. Some forms of fermentation greatly increase the bioavailability of certain nutrients. That's all vague and hand-wavy, so I'll recommend Sandor Ellix Katz' book The Art of Fermentation as it is exceedingly well-cited, bloody interesting, and tells me to drink beer. I think...
Frank and Beans!
I have a whole wish list dedicated to books so you can choose from there, or get me this one which would make me so happy I would dance like Dick Van Dyke.
:)
For pickles and other preserves, I tend to refer to Sandor Katz's The Art of Fermentation
You might be interested in The Art Of Fermentation.
Sorry for the delayed response!
Kefir has been the most wonderful source of probiotics for me. My lactose-intolerant wife has been able to drink it without problem. I've actually even heard of people being able to cure their lactose intolerance with the stuff. If I drink as little as a cup of homemade kefir every day, I have zero G.I. tract problems. I've noticed that if I stop using it for long periods of time, they frequently return. If I were to select one thing to try, it'd be kefir. The best source of information on kefir came from a series of webpages (1, 2, 3)from a guy named Dom. He has a ridiculously crazy sense of humor, but he's done more experimentation with kefir than I've seen anywhere else. I'd encourage you to buy some kefir grains off of Craigslist for $5 and experiment with it for a while.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.
I would highly recommend The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz.
He dives deeply into just about all types of fermentation. It’s a really interesting read and my go-to reference.
That USDA bulletin is great! I'm definitely giving that a read through. Yeah it's really is hard finding info on any type of koji other than for Sake or Miso. I wound up using a combination of shoyu and soy koji recipes in Sandor Katz' "The Art of Fermentation" book and the directions that came with the shoyu koji-kin I bought from GEM Cultures.
http://gemcultures.com/soy_cultures.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fermentation-Depth-Exploration-Essential/dp/160358286X/
I have drawn on some ideas from Joseph Needham's "Science and Civilization in China Vol 6-5: Biology and Biotechnology Part 5 - Fermentations and Food Science." It's a treasure trove of information about the history of fermentation technology in China and other East Asian cultures. The book has recipes and techniques though they have to be interpreted using modern methods and measurements which can be tricky.
https://monoskop.org/images/f/f1/Needham_Joseph_Science_and_Civilisation_in_China_Vol_6-5_Biology_and_Biological_Technology_Fermentations_and_Food_Science.pdf
Good luck on the peanuts! Looks like they successfully used them in the USDA booklet so it should work in theory.
Yeah the immersion circulator works great and koji is usually ready in about 40 hours but I am frustrated by having to use an 8x11 baking dish which limits me to about 2 lbs of koji at a time. I'm guessing from your pictures you have a cabinet setup with rows of wooden trays for incubation? Can you share some pics of what that looks like?
I was thinking about doing this cooler + aquarium heater setup but have also been intrigued about building a wood cabinet with trays.
http://fermup.com/incubators/
I'm using a Sandor Katz method from the Art of Fermintation. Basically, I stuffed a half-gallon jar full of radish (with greens). Added about 6 tablespoons salt with water and a little garlic.
Read The Cheese Trap for inspiration and get this book for its amazing cheese recipes. https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778
> Do you guys have any sources of really high quality vegan meals by like high level chefs and shit.
Take your pick! What cuisines does she like to make? What do you like to eat? Choose something that fits both.
Gourmet Stuff (youtube channels, blogs, and/or cookbooks. Some are all three):
For direct recreations of dairy, meat, and condiments/sauces.
For recreations of eggs:
For a general cookbook: Veganomicon
---------
My list of substitutions, taken from another comment:
"
Another thing you can do is learn or find vegan substitutes to things, then you can look up recipes that are as complex or authentic as you want, and simply use the substitutions. For gourmet vegan cooking, some are:
"
I am getting the vegan cheese cookbook, I miss cheese too!
https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1522110071&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=vegan+pantry+cookbook It's on sale right now for 1.99 on kindle, just bought it. Super excited!!
I got this book for my vegan SIL a couple years ago and recently bought it for myself. It's been great for easing me into veganism
https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Vegan-Pantry-Making-Staples/dp/1607746778
Just the kindle edition & I'll even save you the multiple link clicks too.
-
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/
Amazon Link to the book
Looks like you're off to a good start! If you don't have one already, pick up a wireless grill thermometer with two probes - one for the brisket temp, and one for the grill temp.
The grill temp should be right around 230 f, and the brisket should hit that temp by the time you're done.
As the brisket cooks, it loses water. Losing water via evaporation cools it, so you get this strange effect where the temperature of the brisket stops rising, aka "the stall". Don't freak out, just keep smoking that brisket. It will eventually lose enough water to the point where it no longer has enough to cool itself via evaporation, and the temp will start to rise again.
Something to note is that a brisket tends to absorb as much flavor from the smoke as it can in about 4-6 hours of smoking. If you're tired, you can cheat by pre-heating your oven to 230 F, pull the brisket off the smoker, wrap it in foil and toss it in the oven. It tastes fantastic and you don't have to keep getting up every few hours to add fuel to the smoker. On the downside, the bark won't be quite as crispy. On the upside, you'll be well rested!
As far as rubs go, salt, pepper and a decent amount of brown sugar are what I use. Having sugar to caramelize is what really makes the bark pop.
If you have the room and can find a decent place that sells hardwood suitable for smoking on Craigslist - pecan, mesquite, etc, definitely shell out for an offset wood-fired smoker. It makes a world of difference in the flavor, and kicks the butt of any pellet fired smokers.
A great book to read on the subject is from a notable Austin BBQ joint, Franklin's - https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
This is the thermometer I use, has a good range on it and it's dead on accurate - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GE77QT0/
If he has a particular team he supports for football, maybe some gear to wear or tickets to a game (I realize the season is almost over but long shot here.)
You mentioned cooking/grilling... along those lines, if he has room for it and enjoys bbq type good, you might consider a smoker
If you do opt for this route, there is a great book that you could get to go with it.
Just trying to help think outside the box. Good luck!
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200
it's got everything, not really recipes, but a sort of "How to live the bbq lifestyle, how to make a pit, how to pick out meat and trim it, building the best fire, types of wood, etc.
Purchased these gloves recently and they're pretty solid: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HLPXL80
Otherwise a good thermometer is probably up there along with a decent slicing knife and cutting board if he doesn't have one.
Also, this is a great book IMO: http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/
Purchase a water chemistry book, I recommend
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
I think our water is fine to brew with if you do a couple of simple things. Water is a complex topic, so before you go too far down the rabbit hole, understand that. When I was a homebrewer, the things that had the most positive impact on my beer from a water perspective were:
Here's an old thread I started on beerinator. GCBrewingCo who adds the final word is one of the most experienced beer judges in the area.
If you want to really focus on water, you sure can. John Palmer's How to Brew covers the topic at a high level and Palmer & Colin Kaminski wrote a whole book on water for brewers.
One more point: annually in March, Raleigh stops adding ammonia to the water and just relies on straight chlorine for the month. This makes the water smell & taste different. Unlike chloromines, chlorine can be taken out with just a charcoal filter. Water customers affected by this change include those who pay water bills to the City of Raleigh and to the towns of Rolesville, Garner, Knightdale, Holly Springs, Wendell, Wake Forest, Zebulon and Fuquay-Varina.
Yes, 1 year and spots fill up for the taste test fast. We are fortunate enough to have a big enough group and couple of high ranking judges to allow us to get our own exam for our study group. They recommend you sign up for a taste test before taking the entrance exam.
I assume you have already visited this page but it will give you everything you need to pass the entrance exam. http://www.bjcp.org/examcenter.php Also if you like reading, Yeast by Chris White and Jamil Zannishef, Hops by Stan Hirronamous and soon Water by John Palmer are great advanced books that will be great resources for brewing, judging and making recipes. That said to pass the exam all you will need is the study guide, the procedure manual, and the BJCP style guidelines is all you need.
Yeah I could definitely be remembering incorrectly. I'll have to check in a week when I'm home unless any other owners of Water can chime in with the part on preboiling water.
Nobody measures the actual amounts of any brewing ion in solution in your water.
You either:
Using one of the above you determine the base amounts of brewing ions in your water. Then you use something like bru'n water, brewersfriend, any of the other tools out there to determine a water profile and which salts to add to achieve that profile.
After adding the salts, you just assume the desired amounts will be achieved, no need (or possibility, really) to actually measure those as a homebrewer.
The tools I mentioned above also calculate mash pH and other important brewing water measures.
Water is a very interesting topic to dive into, and if you really want to research this thoroughly I highly recommend Palmers "Water" book. Only part of that book is applicable to homebrewers, but it very clearly explains what water chemistry entails and what is important. It was only after reading this book that I fully understood how "residual alkalinity" works in brewing water, for example.
Also, in my experience, getting the mash and boil pH right is way more important to the final product than the amounts of ions in your wort (as long as they are not exceedingly low, or high). When I brew with tap water without adjustments, my mash pH will be too high (especially for pale beers) which in turn means my boil pH will be to high. Invariably, those beers will take way longer to become clear, and the bitterness will be "weird". When I adjust my water to a (calculated) mash pH of ~5.4, the beer is already clear when I move it from the fermenter into bottles, and the bitterness is way more pleasant.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0937381993
The 'water book' in question for those wondering. (I assume)
The yeast book was great.
Hey Fitness96,
I remember being 17 years old and wanting to lose a substantial amount of weight, I just wanted to be like everyone else my age. Sadly, genetics play a significant factor in how our bodies process different macronutrients (fats, protein, and carbs), and it sounds like you got the short end of the genetic stick (just as I did). The bad news is that you can’t just eat whatever you want and look fit (past the age of 30 almost no one can, the American obesity rate is proof of that), the good news is that you’re not destined to be overweight.
I’ve made so many mistakes over the years, I literally yo-yo dieted for 12 years before finally losing and keeping off 40 lbs of fat after I found the RIGHT diet and the RIGHT exercise.
I remember running for miles and miles, then trying to restrict my calories to lose weight, only to become starving and binge eat followed by feeling exhausted and sleeping for days.
No matter who you ask, you’re going to get a different opinion, but based on my experience (and mistakes) these are some general rules of thumb to follow (disclaimer: I am not a doctor, the suggestions below are based solely off of my personal experience).
At the bottom of the post I provide resources for you to read, best of luck to you and shoot me a message if you have any questions / need some help!
RESOURCES
Book – The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss – http://www.amazon.com/The-4-Hour-Body-Incredible-Superhuman/dp/030746363X
Book – The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf – http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=la_B003Z4MQVY_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1406053434&amp;sr=1-1
Blog – Ben Greenfield – http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/
Blog – Mark Sisson – http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
Bench Press (proper form) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaOwz6DNdjw
Deadlift (proper form) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1H1VG9Uh50
Squats (proper form) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDPy_i_Wbuo
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/
Best of luck to you, and feel free to shoot me a message with any questions!
My recommendation would be that you read this book by Robb Wolf to better understand the whys of paleo. To address your second question... You should jump right in with a 30 day strict paleo diet to get yourself over the hurdles of cravings/dependence. It will be hard and you will be mean for up to two weeks, but trust that its for the greater good. When you are no longer dependent upon sugar/grains you will feel in control. The way I like to look at it... if you were addicted to heroin and trying to quit would keep doing heroin a couple days out the week? I know... an extreme example, but you get the idea.
http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Blueprint-21-Day-Total-Transformation/dp/0982207778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1320463206&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1320463224&amp;sr=1-1
http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/
The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolff
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844
You sound like a sugar addict and a prime candidate for low-carb dieting.
Buy a copy of this. Read it. Do it.
When you've lost the bulk of your weight, buy a copy of this.
These are not affiliate links. I just really believe in both of these books.
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844
Read it and win.
Sending good thoughts your way, mate.
A couple things:
The Paleo Solution. I heard Robb Wolf on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, looked up the paleo lifestyle, bought the book, changed my diet, and have never felt better. Whether you agree with paleo or not, it's better than the standard american diet and my energy and mindset has never been better.
Tools: another knife, or a end-grain cutting board. Digital scales are always handy. Pressure cookers can be had for under $100 and a water circulator (sous vide machine) will fall slightly above that price range.
Ingredients: Foie gras makes a good gift. I would be delighted to get some high-end pork product. for a gift.
Books: Modernist Cuisine at Home is as much a book as it is a reference guide and set of projects. On Food and Cooking is an essential book for food nerds.
Are you (or your SO) interested in cooking? You might consider Modernist Cuisine at Home. It's very cool, informative, geeky and beautiful.
Also, you might want to check out Edward Tufte's books (The Visual Display of Quantitative Information; Envisioning Information; Beautiful Evidence) to see if they are of interest to you.
You can find a PDF on popular torrent sites. Theirs also a cheaper abridged at home edition
There's also a version they put out for home cooks called Modernist Cuisine at Home that's also amazing and far cheaper. The Food Lab is another great option.
I found new joy in cooking when I learned about all the processes of how things cook. Like learning how to smoke meats with an electric smoker, learning how to bake breads, make cheese, curing meats, pickling, using a pressure cooker, a sous vides oven, how to grill, how to slow cook. Each lead to more. I read the book Modern Cuisine at Home by Nathan Myrvhold. A super important thing for me was how to preserve foods without refrigeration and smoking meats, pasteurization versus cooking.
Here are the absolute musts I think you (everyone) should learn with tons of easy to find resources (and why important):
(You'll be amazed how much more you can do with some simple meat tweaks, also important for vegetarians)
(There is nothing better than baking home made breads and cakes and stuff. You can make oodles of variations, tarts sweet and savory, pasties and pastries awesome)
(Sounds scary but so opens the magic shut doors between amateur and professionals. Is easy and important an art that people have been doing for thousands of years.)
(Learn about and buy cheap cuts of meat, you won't be upset if you screw something up and the cheaper the more flavorful)
A big thing for me
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Home-Nathan-Myhrvold/dp/0982761015
(This book is great for the science behind cooking, an incredible and overlooked aspect behind cooking)
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Masterbuilt-30-Electric-Smokehouse/7811422
(This was something that really changed everything for me. I know you have a crappy apartment so do I, I keep mine on the patio and use it like a slow cooker, shovel wood in set temp come home to incredible food. Plus with black friday coming up there are huge discounts available although overseas I dunno.)
Home Version
I've heard that the Modernist Cuisine books were very good however they are quite pricy. The cheaper one is the PDF version of those books but the hardcover one I saw listed for over $500.
There is a cheaper Modernist Cuisine at Home for about $100 hardcover.
Everyone else suggested ChefSteps and I have been using that. Get the premium membership.
All links are non affiliated.
Thanks a lot! The first suggestion seems absolutely amazing but sadly out of my budget. Do you know much about the book Modernist Cuisine at Home?
Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking
Modernist Cuisine at Home
Check out Modernist Cooking at home if you have the means. Or maybe look online for his melted cheese recipe. It's good, and you can make it with a lot of different kinds of cheese. I know shredded cheese is typical for tacos, but this stuff is good.
There's a cooking for beginner's subreddit as well by the way.
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I found certain cook books more helpful than others. As a science type, I deeply appreciated this time which should be in your local library. It explains what "meat" is: muscles, and how it all works, and how heat affects it chemically. All the steps are very clear, the photography is beautiful, and steps are written exactly like a chemistry lab.
The meat chapter explains why different cuts of meat are different and what to do with each.
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Start with beef or good quality fish: both are safe to eat even if undercooked. Maybe take a scientific approach, even: cut up different chunks of the same size, blot dry with paper towel to minimize splutter.
Put pan on stove at medium setting, add about teaspoon of oil and spread across surface evenly. When you can feel heat on your hand about 3 inches from the heated surface, add meat.
After one minute remove one chunk and rest on plate. After another minute remove another. And so on. Observe the differences. Now taste them. Then add little salt and pepper and taste again.
Small steps. :)
I used to be the kid who threw pop corn kernels on the stove without oil and almost set the house on fire. My then boyfriend needed to walk me through cooking my first egg. We all start somewhere.
https://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
https://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
You need Manifold Destiny!:
https://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
http://www.amazon.ca/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
You mean you don't keep honey mustard in there?
Maybe this will help:
http://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
Take a copy of this book and report back the results.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manifold-Destiny-Guide-Cooking-Engine/dp/1416596232
Not sure, but I'm sure this book could tell you.
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Manifold Destiny (cookbook):
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>Manifold Destiny is a 1989 cookbook (ISBN 0679723374), its updated 1998 edition (ISBN 0375751408) and a 2008 update (ISBN 1416596232) on the subject of cooking on the surface of a car engine. It was written by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller, a photographer and a travel writer who were also accomplished rally drivers. Though neither edition remained in print for very long, the book is considered something of a cult classic in the American culinary scene due to its unusual subject matter, combining local specialties ("ready-boughts") with recipes designed with various regional and ethnic inspirations in mind, as well as evaluations of representative cars available at the time of their suitability as cooking equipment. A measure of its cult status can be found on Amazon.com, where a search in May 2007 revealed that used copies of the book sold for four to ten times the cover price of the book. In addition, despite its somewhat humorous tone, it is often cited as the primary (or even only) reference on the subject of car engine cooking.
>
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^Interesting: ^Manifold ^Destiny ^| ^List ^of ^cooking ^techniques ^| ^Engine ^Cooking
^Parent ^commenter ^can [^toggle ^NSFW](/message/compose?to=autowikibot&subject=AutoWikibot NSFW toggle&message=%2Btoggle-nsfw+cmko2mj) ^or [^delete](/message/compose?to=autowikibot&subject=AutoWikibot Deletion&message=%2Bdelete+cmko2mj)^. ^Will ^also ^delete ^on ^comment ^score ^of ^-1 ^or ^less. ^| ^(FAQs) ^| ^Mods ^| ^Magic ^Words
The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I haven't done cocktails, but I've pulled sodas from the same tap system as my beer.
It will go better if you have a regulator that allows you to set multiple pressures. Soda/cocktails are carbonated at much higher volumes than beer. If you're just serving it solo, it'll work fine.
in Jeffrey Morgenthaler's recent book, he goes through his process for making large amounts of mojitos for a group. He does make a mint simple syrup, but there are a few abnormal techniques he uses to do it. I would pick up a copy of his book and do what he says. He's a smart guy and the book is great.
http://www.amazon.com/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1462814437&amp;sr=8-1-spell&amp;keywords=moregenthaler
Awesome! Let me know how you like it, or if you got any questions. While you're buying stuff, if you like his blog, pick up Morgenthaler's new book its amazing.
This book will get you about 90% there as far as technique.
Outside your list, but I would recommend a couple books if they don't already occupy your shelves:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bar-Book-Elements-Technique/dp/145211384X
and
http://www.amazon.com/The-PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders/dp/1402779232
The piece of equipment that I decided wasn’t being used enough in my kitchen is my mandolin. I got it in a 4 blade set from Oxo. In order to really delve into it, I decided to make 3 dishes which featured the mandolin. First, I decided to make these mini-potatoes Anna. These were really easy and incredibly delicious. The paper-thin potato slices were melt in your mouth bites of deliciousness. I next wanted to make some kind of chip, but didn’t want to use potatoes again. Instead, I made these baked beet chips. I liked them because I didn’t have to fry anything. They took way longer than expected to crisp up (like 30 minutes or so) but ended up tasting a lot like potato chips with a slightly earthier flavor. Finally, for my main course, I wanted to make something with zucchini noodles. I have been trying to make more vegetable dishes and this seemed like a great opportunity to try this out. I went with this zucchini lasagna recipe. I did make a number of changes to the dish, as suggested by many of the commenters. To start, I added a couple cloves of garlic into the onions. Instead of a 28 ounce can of tomatoes, I went with a 15 ounce can, and then started adding things. I added a handful of minced sun-dried tomatoes, an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce, a squeeze of tomato paste, a squeeze of chili pepper paste, and a large splash of the pasta sauce I had in my fridge. I also added some parmesan and mozzarella to the ricotta layers and topped the thing with some mozzarella. This was delicious and I will definitely be making it again in the future.
For my MetaTheme, I wanted to finally use the Boston Shaker that I have had in my bar cabinet for a couple of years now. This also let me use another piece of underused equipment, my Hawthorne Strainer. Because I was going to use the shaker as my theme equipment, I needed a cocktail that really featured the shaker. In my mind, that means a cocktail with an egg white in it (which needs a dry shake). I decided to go with a Whiskey Sour because it is one of my favorite drinks, when done well, and I somehow haven’t done it in the 93 weeks I have been making cocktails to go with my theme dishes. I had to crack out two different books for this one. I used Liquid Intelligence for the recipe but needed my Bar Book to learn the technique behind using a Boston Shaker. This was a great recipe with the right balance of sweet, sour, and smokey.
/r/Cocktails
Liquid Intelligence is fascinating if you're a science/chem type.
The Bar Book and similar books.
One of my current favourite cocktails is arguably a "Reverse Manhattan with absinthe instead of bitters".
I'm a little late to this and have only leafed through it myself but Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking might be of interest to you. It breaks down those four ingredients (and others) and how to use them/why they're important. Helpful for baking of course. Additionally, the illustrations are so cute. They remind me of Quentin Blake's illustration for Roald Dahl books.
I have never used a real cookbook, but I watched this mini series on Netflix called Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and it was fantastic. Highly recommend it. I just looked up some cookbooks on amazon for you and saw the book there with stellar reviews. It has 100 recipes and also teaches you some fundamentals of cooking and how the ingredients work together. Sorry I don’t know any other books to recommend, I grew up on the internet!
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476753830/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_65lyCbDD3YSJB
As others have said, practice.
With that said, books like Ratio and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat have also been a huge help to me.
They both teach you more about what things work well together rather than how to follow particular recipes. Ratio is about what flavors compliment each other and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat demonstrates how the combination of those four elemental units in cooking can up your game across the board.
Just some bits and pieces that might help:
You need to learn the quirks of your stove/oven. They aren't all the same. Gas vs electric is a huge difference, but even two gas or two electric setups can be different from each other. Just because a recipe says you put something in on X temperature for X time doesn't actually mean that's how it's going to work for you. At my last apartment, my oven ran hot and things went from done to overcooked extremely fast. At my new apartment, it's the exact opposite. Get a meat thermometer and accept that it'll take some time to figure out your setup.
For dishes you make on the stove, or one sheet pan meals in the oven, the #1 rule is do not crowd the pan. If you add too many things at once, your food is going to steam in the water that its neighbors are releasing, not sear. You want them seared for that Maillard reaction. This is related to the Chinese phrase wok hei.
Better seasonings helps a lot. Subscribe to Penzeys emails, the owner hates Trump and has been doing crazy giveaways every time he gets mad at Trump (I'm not trolling or shilling, he really does do these giveaways.) The spices/herbs/seasoning mixes are high quality and they make a huge difference.
Hands down the best book for learning the WHY of cooking, not just the how, is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
Get the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. It teaches you how to think about your dish from first principles, rather than being bound to a recipe. It's really good!
This one is very popular and it's still on sale. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476753830/?coliid=I33BRJN8OJCTRL&colid=2LU4E1DJMSPDA&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Oh. I poked around. Is it Salt Fat Acid Heat?
If so, here’s the link: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476753830/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_l0G0DbT4XX0MZ
This is a really good read - these are the opening lines of the book’s introduction:
> Anyone can cook anything and make it delicious.
> Whether you’ve never picked up a knife or you’re an accomplished chef, there are only four basic factors that determine how good your food will taste: salt, which enhances flavor; fat, which amplifies flavor and makes appealing textures possible; acid, which brightens and balances; and heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food. Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat are the four cardinal directions of cooking, and this book shows how to use them to find your way in any kitchen.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
Does he have a nice insulated mug/water bottle for when he is doing the outdoor stuff? A personal colored or engraved Hydroflask would be a nice gift to keep water cold or coffee/tea hot!
You could also get him a recipe book. These two are on my Christmas list, the first one has SO MANY recipes for everything you can think of and more, fun to get new meal inspiration. The bottom has a Netflix show, but is the basics of cooking and how to boost flavor with amazing illustrations.
You and your FH can write personal messages in the front cover to thank him.
America’s Test Kitchen Complete Cookbook
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Jacques Pépin - New Complete Techniques
Jacques Pépin's New Complete Techniques.
I LOVE Joy of Cooking. I have made every single recipe in the cookies section (from my 1985ish edition).
I also recommend Jacques Pepin New Complete Techniques. Some of it is challenging, but some of it is just..."oh, so that's how you do that!!"
And...a crock pot. I made at least 1 meal a week in my crock pot. Super easy and cheap!
Jacques Pépin - New Complete Techniques possibly?
It is from Jacques' Techniques series:
https://www.amazon.com/Jacques-Pépin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=RA2N5BG269A24BTRJQ6F
I think it comes with at DVD in the book, but I am not sure.
I was about to list out all my favorite resources, the ones where, looking back, I can point to as being the bedrock of all the cooking knowledge I've cobbled together over the years, and I noticed they have one thing in common: PBS. The cooking shows that air on PBS (and their companion materials) are just awesome. They're not gimmicky, they don't have puppets or catch phrases, but they're reliable. There are other great sources of food knowledge, but if somebody's on PBS, you know they're the real deal.
If I had to learn it all over again starting today, here's what I'd be looking at, in rough order:
Martha Stewart's Cooking School
Martha's got a great new show and companion book to go along with it. The reason I'd start here is because it's structured the way you want it: an emphasis on technique, with clear goals for each lesson. Just about every one of your topics listed above is covered in here, and the recipes are almost secondary. Like, a show or chapter will be about braising, not about boeuf bourguignon. Pretty heavy emphasis on French and European cuisine, but some nice forays into other cuisines, too. Covers all the basics: equipment, stocks, sauces, cuts of meat. Lots of good reference sections, too, like charts on cooking techniques for different rices and grains.
It's mostly pretty traditional stuff. No "hacks" or "science", but she will occasionally throw in some neat updates to a traditional technique. In particular, her hollandaise method is the best I've ever come across. Almost completely traditional, double-boiler and all, but she uses whole butter instead of clarified. Really easy and probably tastes better, too.
Incidentally, most of the substance of the show probably comes from editorial director for food at Martha Stewart Living, Sarah Carey, who happens to have an awesome YouTube channel.
Julia Child
Julia needs no introduction. She made French cuisine accessible to us servantless American cooks half a century ago, and I don't think anyone has done it better since. You'll want to watch every episode of The French Chef you can get your hands on, and also grab a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
You could start with Julia, but her show seems to focus on the recipe first, followed by the technique. So Julia's episode on boeuf bourguignon will be about boeuf bourguignon. She'll teach you all about technique, too, of course, but I think it's easier to start with Martha if you want a run-through of the basics of a technique.
Jacques Pepin
Probably the most talented cook to ever appear on television. The man elevates mincing an onion to an art form. Probably the best shows of his are Essential Pepin, Fast Food My Way, and Julia and Jacques Cooking at home (which used to be on Hulu, if you have that).
Every show he'll cook through a bunch of recipes, and he'll make these off-the-cuff comments on why he's doing what he's doing. How to peel a carrot. How to puree garlic with a chef's knife. Adding a splash of water to a covered skillet to steam the contents from the top while cooking them from below.
There's also a lot of his older stuff on YouTube that will show particular techniques: parting and deboning a chicken, preparing an omelet, and so on. He's remarkably consistent, so if you just watch enough of his stuff you'll get the spiel on every topic eventually.
Jacques does have a compilation of technique, but frankly I think Martha's is better. The photography in Jacques' book is pretty poor, and he devotes an awful lot of space to techniques that have probably been out of fashion for forty years. That said, there's a lot that's still useful in there, so it's worth at least checking out from the library.
(By the way, while you're at it, you should read My Life in France and The Apprentice, Julia's and Jacques autobiographies, respectively.)
There's a lot more to learn, but if you start with Jacques, Julia, and Martha, you'll have a rock-solid foundation upon which to build. Once you've got the basics down, my favorite new-fangled cooking resources are Serious Eats and ChefSteps.
Happy cooking!
well, it's not 'only' pictures, but it does have a lot of pictures - New Complete Techniques by Jacques Pepin. it's very comprehensive & easy to follow. there are photos for just about everything, in both color & black & white. and whatever text there is, is presented in digestible bits, alongside the photo illustration.
If you want a cookbook that will teach you classic French cooking techniques and also provide recipes, I'd recommend Jacques Pepin's New Complete Techniques. The Julia Child book was good for its time and definitely popularized French cooking, but it's more of a historical touchstone at this point than a functional guide for 21st century cooks. It assumes that you already have a lot of cooking knowledge.
>Name me a moral concept. Or a few. And why are we assuming that nature is non-moral?
That's the thing, I'm saying that there are no distinctively "moral" properties in nature. Morality, defined as "The extent to which an action is right or wrong," is a useful fiction, based on the conventions and designs of other human beings. When someone says that "rape is morally wrong," what they are saying in effect is that its consequences are undesirable, and should be prohibited as a matter of principle. Once enough people come together and reach a consensus on this point, a new moral is born. But the moral itself does not derive its authority from an objective ground of value, which stands above and beyond the practical interests and agreements of human beings.
I'm far more comfortable with using the terms good or evil, just or unjust, equal or unequal, appropriate or inappropriate, suitable or unsuitable, proportional or disproportional, adaptive or maladaptive, functional or dysfunctional, efficient or inefficient. Note that I'm not talking about good or evil in a theistic or moral sense, I'm speaking in purely functional terms. A "good" thing of a certain kind is one which performs its function well. For instance, the function of a knife is to cut: cutting is that which a knife alone achieves, or achieves better than other objects. It is a distinctive quality of a knife that it cut well or badly. To the extent that an object lacks these traits, it will be evil or bad as a result. In that sense, the words that I use are devoid of subjective valuations, there is no expression of liking or prejudice, rather, I'm using these words to point to objective criteria, and as a result the claims are matters for empirical investigation, not what one or another ideology proclaims is right or wrong.
>Humans feel pain and process emotions in the same way that most mammals do.
I never denied that fact. However, I'd characterize the issue differently. As I said before, it is in the consitution of our species that we eat animal flesh for subsistance. Obviously, I'm not claiming that we require a wholly carniverous diet, only that a large proportion of our food comes from animals. The only implication that follows from this is that nature prescribes that lower animals are the proper prey of human beings, and thus it is fitting, appropriate, or suitable to our species. You are the one introducing a moral claim into this situation. And as I said, your claim is groundless as it appeals to an arbitrary preference of subjective taste. It has no moral authority. You also lack the general consent of others, which would be required to turn this into a principle or norm of conduct. So where does that leave us? I maintain that we have a natural right or entitlement to prey on other creatures for the good of our species. This right follows from the fact that we are proportionally superior, in nearly all respects, as it pertains to fitness, which is the only measure of comparison at issue in the final analysis. If you dispute this claim, kindly explain how it is possible for us to fish out entire oceans, or reduce whole ecosystems to cinders to suit our purposes. The suffering of other animals is indeed an evil, but only for those species so unfortunate to become victims of the human appetite.
Here's a small taste of the contradictory evidence you requested.
Cut the carbohydrates, especially wheat and sugar. Shes doesn't need any. Her belly will disappear within a couple months if you cut those out.
Then read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844
And never be confused about nutrition again.
The Paleo Solution
Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:
Amazon Smile Link: Modernist Cuisine at Home
|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|
This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.
If she loves trying to cook tasty food and is at all technical then there is nothing better than the Modernist Cuisine book. A huge tome of recipes, skills, techniques and amazing photography.
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Home-Nathan-Myhrvold/dp/0982761015
It is pricey, but worth it. Check the reviews.
Fingers crossed for the key! Liking your stuff.
Acid is a fundamental building block of cooking and flavor. Some would argue the four elements you must always keep in mind to create a dish are Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
I have some recipes (being pretty new myself) and a few cookbook recommendations..
A few tips: Vegan cheeses will never taste like the real thing. but some are good and some taste like rubber. being new to this I feel my pallet is still fairly descent still. (won't last much longer though I don't think) I like Violife brand vegan cheeses best for sliced and shredded, along with their cream cheese Best out there. for Parmesan I like Follow your heart brand. Coffee creamer (I used to use half and half in my coffee that is the flavor I like) so the closest one to that flavor I found is So Delicious coconut coffee creamer. The Original flavor.
Butters: I like best the Melt (say good bye to butter) and then I can't believe it's not butter Vegan.
My favorite meat replacers are:
Gardein Ultimate beefless ground, I use it in everything to replace ground meat.
Gardein Chick'n Scallopini, is a great replacement for boneless skinless chicken breast.
Gardein Porkless bites. Serve over rice
Gardein Turk'y Cutlets and gravy are Amazingly wonderful a little mashed
Gardein Italian Sau' Sages are Amazing. I use them in anything that calls for Sausage. Works GREAT! even just in a bowl of pasta with a little sauce and some vegan cheese.
Simple Truth has a lot of great stuff too. (they are kroger or fred meyer brand) they have a Great burger patty. Very tasty, a breaded chicken patty that is really good and their chick'n tenders are better than gardein's.
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I have taken my favorite recipes and revamped them to vegan/vegetarian. they can be made either way.
https://www.copymethat.com/r/fubAxjB/ms-vegetarian-dairy-free-sloppy-joes-sau/
these are pretty easy for those lazy days
https://www.copymethat.com/r/tA5HqQn/ms-easy-black-bean-and-corn-quesadillas/
this is pretty easy and a nice comforting soup
https://www.copymethat.com/r/0WKwq1w/ms-easy-white-bean-thyme-pot-pies/
this one has a Ton of seasoning because I added the seasonings that would be in Spicy Italian sausage and didn't add the meat. it is really good though.
https://www.copymethat.com/r/u1xQ5vk/ms-spicy-lentil-soup/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/7qob7LA/ms-quick-and-easy-veganvegetarian-black-/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/s7HBHBq/ms-pan-seared-cauliflower-and-gravy/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/JAqzkGs/ms-vegan-irish-shepherds-pie/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/oe3CAFm/ms-vegan-ranch-dressing/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/cArRtzU/ms-vegetarian-goulash/
this can be a bit dry I am still working on this one
https://www.copymethat.com/r/k5td3wN/ms-best-ever-meatless-dairy-free-meatloa/
Okay these are yummy! I used sweet baby rays hot wing or buffalo sauce.
https://www.copymethat.com/r/Erb0RD8/baked-buffalo-potato-wedges/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/3d3zNp0/cheesy-vegan-breakfast-potato-casserole/
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My cookbook recommendations are
I have these
https://www.amazon.com/Fuss-Free-Vegan-Everyday-Favorites-Veganized/dp/0147530350/
this is also a really good one
https://www.amazon.com/30-Minute-Vegan-Dinners-Plant-Based-Meals/dp/1624147216/
Everyone raves about Isa's cookbooks but unfortunately I don't have one yet. but plan on getting one soon
https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902/
sorry for the HUGE post. Hope the information helps you.
Probably too late but maybe for next time.
I recommend that you get yourself a good cookbook that appeals to you and work through it. The nice thing about working with one book is that the author usually sticks with the same kinds of flavoring agents and tools so you don't have to buy a ton of different things.
For the last few months I have been cooking from Appetite for Reduction because all the recipes are vegetable heavy and very quick to prepare and now I don't even need to make a list when I go to the store I know exactly what I need, lemons, limes, garlic, onions, broccoli, mixed greens, dark leafy greens, cashews, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, cilantro, whatever fruits and veggies are fresh and on sale, hot sauce different beans, olive oil, almond milk, rice, pasta, quinoa, tempeh, tofu, peanut butter, and coffee.
Sine my spice rack is full and I grow lots of herbs I can make all kinds of things
I think the trick to being able to make lots of different things is to not use any processed foods. To make fast but healthy meals it is easiest to do batch cooking on one day of grains and proteins and then just assemble quick meals out of whole grains, protein, vegetables, and a sauce.
Here is the mobile version of your link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/160358286X?pc_redir=1404818571&amp;robot_redir=1