The Marijuana Chef Cookbook

The recipes included in The Marijuana Chef Cookbook are a far cry from the simple pot brownies and spaghetti sauce of yesteryear.

The book begins with a general overview of marijuana and an explanation of the benefits of cooking with it. Practical advice is given concerning the differences in the experience and duration one can have from eating Cannabis, instead of smoking or vaporizing it. The text leans sharply toward the consumption-by-eating side; but to be fair, if someone purchased a book named The Marijuana Chef Cookbook, I think the chances are better than fair that they are not opposed to the idea of eating marijuana in the first place. However, it is a nice introductory chapter, even if it does 'preach to the choir'.

Chapter two explains how to prepare Cannabis for cooking: either by finely grinding the marijuana and using it as a flour, or by extracting the active ingredients into an oil, alcohol or fat - for example, in the case of marijuana butter. Most of the recipes in the book rely upon either Cannabis flour or Cannabis butter as their marijuana source. Cannabis flour does not have to be heat-treated before use if it will be baked during the cooking process, although for recipes with short cook times that extra step may help to improve the dish.

Except for the final chapter on detoxification, the rest of the book is dedicated to the over fifty included recipes. For those Gentle Readers who prefer for their Cannabis edibles to be sweet - I admit, I do - there are not one but two chapters, totaling seventeen recipes, devoted to the double satisfaction of pot-infused desserts. Savory recipes abound for those who prefer them, beginning with starters such as an infused chicken soup and a handy vinaigrette. During the winter months, a hot cup of Off Your Noodle Soup sounds to me like it might be a nice way to shake off the cold.

Main courses are described for both meat eating and vegetarian needs, including comfort food favorites such as tacos, hamburgers and barbeque sauce. To be fair, I am more likely to try the Dreamspell Bourbon Barbeque Sauce than the Tofu Asparagus Hash, but that is a personal preference of mine concerning tofu, not a slight to the recipe.

Drinks of multiple kinds are suggested (both hot and cold, alcoholic and non-), many of which use either an infused vodka or the fats in milk as the Cannabis solvent. Pot Chocolate is a spin on traditional hot chocolate; amateur mixologists can add concoctions such as Vlad the Inhaler's Vodka to their repertoire.

The final chapter discusses using natural ingredients to make a detoxifying burdock root, thistle, clover, dandelion and licorice root tea.

The recipes are not intimidating and, for the most part, require only basic cooking skills to attempt. The Marijuana Chef Cookbook contains several fun ideas and is a welcome addition to my bookshelf - now if only I could figure out whether I should shelve it with the weed books or the cookbooks.

Peace, love and puka shells,
Grubbycup