Best organic cooking books according to redditors

I really recommend Baby-Led Feeding by Joanna Helwig, as it's a lot less "ARGH, IF YOU GIVE THEM PUREES, YOU HAVE FAILED" than than the actual BLW books :D

An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler is great for this. Beautiful to read and full of advice about processing a bunch of vegetables early in the week, etc. http://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Meal-Cooking-Economy-Grace/dp/1439181888/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

28 day vegan challenge. The author and challenge were also mentioned in game changers. Engine 2

Below are some favorites. It's amazing how many of the plants we see are either edible or medicinal.

​

Pacific Northwest Foraging

Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore

All that the rain promises by David Arora

Common Mushrooms of the Northwest by Duane Sept

Wild Berries of the Northwest by Duane Sept

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants by Scott Kloos

Happy hunting!

Proof by Adam Rogers; the book goes over the processes of making distilled spirits and then some.

We had great success making our daughter's baby food. We received Cooking for Baby as a gift and used it all the time. The recipes are easy, but for the most part you can puree just about anything. I'm sure you'd be able to find some good recipes online for free. Essential items for us were a food processor and ice cube trays (we used these stackable trays secured with rubber bands).

Don't get me wrong, even though the recipes are easy, it takes more time than going to the store and buying food, but we thought it was worth it. We would make a big batch of food, put the food in the ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, we took them out of the trays and dumped them into a labelled plastic freezer bag for use throughout the week. The three basic recipes we used the most were for rice, peas, and beef.

Some studies cited in Proof: The Science of Booze suggest that there might actually be some truth to the old myth about different booze causing different drunken experiences. It's to do with congeners. The author makes clear it's only a few limited studies and that a lot more research needs to be done, but that it's a genuine possibility that those effects are partially real and not strictly in our heads. You'll find the info in the second to last chapter, "Body and Brain."

Check out America’s Test Kichen’s Baby & Toddler cookbook. Lots of good ideas and all the recipes I’ve made have been tasty and kid-friendly.

The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook: The Very Best Purees, Finger Foods, and Toddler Meals for Happy Families https://www.amazon.com/dp/1492677671/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gpWCDb3V1S487

Currently reading Heritage by Sean Brock. I really like Bar Tartine if you have any interest in preservation. Gjelina is on my Christmas list. For something really different, Salvador Dali's cookbook was just released.

edited for formatting

Pacific Northwest Foraging - Douglas Deur

https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Northwest-Foraging-flavorful-blueberries/dp/1604693525

This one. The dude who wrote it has worked closly with native tribes for a while and devoted a section on each edible on what you can do to "give back" to nature and make sure that these beauiful resources stick around in abundance for generations to come. I love it

I have this one and I really like it. It has pictures of appropriate sizes of different foods for first foods and even for toddlers. It’s also has some nice simple realistic recipes as well

"The Homebrewer's Garden" was a great book for getting me started. I have four hills with two rhizomes each of chinook and cascade that are currently on their 5th year, and doing great. I have 8 lines (set up in four "V" patterns) going 25' up the side of my barn's southern facing wall ( check it here ) and that setup has worked great for me so far.

edit: That photo was taken before we raised the ropes up, they're about 12'-15' there.

I actually read Rip Esselstyn's book on health in the department. He is a vegetarian advocate and retired Houston FF. But he talks about the health of fellow firefighters and the general public. They had a BP test at work for a competition and I believe they discovered one FF was a walking heart attack which got them to listen about health and nutrition, especially when you know how fireman like to cook at the station.

His book is called The E2 Diet.

I know I've recommended it here before, so forgive me if I'm a bit of a broken record, but From Vines to Wines is exactly what you need.

As far as oaking the wine, 6 months is not much time in the scheme of things. Our reds can spend anywhere from 18-24+ months in the barrel before bottling. I totally get where you're coming from about the sulfites limiting your timeframe, but just realize that with that constraint, you're not going to have the time to impart a lot of flavor from the oak.

I don't know what kind of chips you're using, but if they're French or Hungarian you might wanna see if you can find American oak. The wide grain means it's going to lack the subtlety of the European varieties, but it might give you the punch you need in the short term.

All that being said, Pinot is fairly delicate and shouldn't be overwhelmed by the oak. If you're getting a little vanilla, consider your job done and enjoy. You don't wanna be sucking on bark.

The book An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler is beautifully written. It's not really a recipe book, although there are recipes, and it's not really a cookbook, although it's entirely about cooking and eating food. It's about thinking about food, approaching it, and making it an effortless part of your life. It's wonderful.

I'd start with Esselstyn's book.

Then take a look at Engine 2 Diet. He actually has a new book out too: My Beef with Beef - though I haven't read this one yet.

Lastly, check out Colin Cambell's China Study.

Also anything by Neal Barnard & John MacDougall. All these and other related books are available at libraries!

If you want to get serious about home wine making, I'd recommend picking up a couple books.

http://www.amazon.com/From-Vines-Wines-Complete-Growing/dp/1580171052

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Backyard-Vineyard-Step-Step/dp/1604692855

I haven't started any vines yet, but when I buy a property this fall I hope to. These books are fantastic.

To answer your question about pruning, by removing fruit and shoots back to the buds, you're allowing the vine to focus it's energy into developing a strong root system. There are many methods of doing this. Here is one, but different varietals have different preferred methods.

https://urbanwinegrower.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/three-yr-captioned-prune.jpg

Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes

I always recommend this book. It was awesome. It offers a progression for introducing solids, talks about making your own purees, and it has nice simple recipes that build into more complex ones (for toddlers anyway). They are pretty delicious and good for beyond 18months. This book was helpful to me as a mom who had no idea where to start.

My sister really enjoys the Vegan Before 6 program. If that's too much right away, you can try doing a couple of meals a week at first, and work on finding meals you really enjoy, that you can come back to again. And as /u/MapleSyrupisLife points out, Mexican food is easy to veggie-up, and any time "boatloads of guacamole" get involved life is good. :)

Also, “Booze” by Adam Rogers references directly Booker and Dax, where Dave Arnold used to be. It will not give you recipes, but the science is all there!

Edit: spelling

Amen.

So much stuff is geared towards baby but the full size version is way better!

Also.. check out this book.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492677671?colid=20XQ8YT62DY6&coliid=I2NIBWKAIDVUAY&ref=br_mb_ov_item_detai

I’ll be making my own (user name checks out :p)

Adding on to your comment, these are the books I'm lusting after:

Heritage

A Kitchen in France

Aeri's Korean Cookbook

The Slanted Door: Modern Vietnamese Food

Ottolenghi

Thug Kitchen

My Paris Kitchen

Any Barefoot Contessa cookbook

The Smitten Kitchen cookbook

That's kind of a big question. But I'd recommend you start by reading as much as you can. That way you'll have a better idea what you're getting yourself into. And you can start to answer questions about what specifically you want to do. What kind of vineyard do you want? How big? Where? What do you want to grow? Here's a couple good resources to get you started:

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/fruitpathology/Bulletins/mw_grape_12aug05%20S.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/Vines-Wines-Complete-Growing-Grapes/dp/1580171052

he's probably reading info from Caldwell Esselstyn and the like. there's a lot of research & application of preventing & reversing heart disease, etc with plant-based diets.

his son Rip Esselstyn is also an author and activist. i've read his book and it's pretty interesting what he was able to do on a micro scale with the firefighter's he worked with. his TED talk is pretty neat.

the documentary Forks Over Knives is based on the premise.

Brooklyn Brew shop has some
books
that are pretty good. Ive done a couple of the recipes. Sometimes the yeast suggestions are pretty basic. One of the books has a few recipes done with breweries. Like a clone of Evil Twin's Christmas Eve At A New York City Hotel Room.

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've been purchasing keto cookbooks for my library system and have been reading through them as they come in. Here's a little list:

Sweet & Savory Fat Bombs by Martina Slajerova
https://www.amazon.ca/Sweet-Savory-Fat-Bombs-Delicious/dp/1592337287/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1480350212&sr=1-1
Haven't made anything from it yet, but I have this one checked out right now. I am going to try the recipe for their Toasted Coconut Cups today. The ingredient lists seems semi reasonable and it's great for squares, chocolate, spreads, and little treats if you're into that kind of thing.

The KetoDiet Cookbook by Martina Slajerova
https://www.amazon.ca/KetoDiet-Cookbook-Grain-Free-Sugar-Free-Starch-Free/dp/1592337015/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480350335&sr=1-1&keywords=ketodiet+cookbook
Of all the books I've looked at so far this one seems the most reasonable and helpful. It's actual recipes instead of just a "wrap bacon around asparagus, cook" kind of thing. Plus, there's pretty pictures of the food and I like pictures in my cookbooks. I have it checked out right now and was going to give their recipe for zuch lasagna a try as a first recipe.

Quick & Easy Ketogenic Cooking by Maria Emmerich
https://www.amazon.ca/Quick-Easy-Ketogenic-Cooking-Recipes/dp/1628601000/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1480350438&sr=1-2
I had high hopes for this one, but I didn't like the look of it at all, save for a few recipes on slow cooker pulled-pork / pulled-chicken kind of thing. It was lots of "wrap bacon around asparagus, cook" that I mentioned above--the sort of food that folks on keto maybe already know. I did snap a few pictures of recipes I'd like to try, but it wasn't one I am considering purchasing, like the two above.

It can be hard to wade through the crap on pinterest and two sites I've found helpful for bang-on recipes are these:
http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/
http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/

Hope this is helpful. Happy shopping <3

I went through our local UC Cooperative Master Gardener program and also read up on a few books.

http://www.amazon.com/From-Vines-Wines-Complete-Growing/dp/1580171052

It also helps to volunteer as a host at a local winery where you pour for guests. At a smaller winery you usually get to talk to the winemaker and get some ideas on what works in you area. I also found going up to Napa and shopping at the vineyard supply stores gave me a lot of insight on what worked and what didn't.

http://aj-vineyardsupply.com/

http://www.orchardvalleysupply.com/

http://www.jimssupply.com/Category/Vineyard_Supplies

As for getting vines I started mine from cuttings of neighbors and friend's vineyards. Don't forget the rooting hormone powder.

http://hormex.com/labels/BCC_No8.pdf

Otherwise you can order the vines from nurseries listed on the Univerity of California National Grape Registry

http://ngr.ucdavis.edu/disclaimer.cfm?returnpage=/index.cfm

Have fun and good luck!

Avocado was our baby's first food, too! To this day, it's still one of her favorites.

In contrast to iamnicole, our pediatrician steered us away from (rice) cereal in a bottle. There's a variety of reasons the thinking is changing on that--you can ask your own pediatrician about it if you're interested.

I basically went to the library and got a bunch of books. There's basically the traditional school (start spoon feeding them purees) and the "baby led weaning" school (let them self-feed).

We didn't start off with BLW because we were introducing solids at about 5.5 months because baby had reflux and was having trouble gaining weight. So we spoonfed to make sure she actually ate. (BLW says "food before one is just for fun", which I like for taking the pressure off when they're learning, but has to be balanced with your babies circumstances.)

So we did purees for the first month or so. Avocado, banana (which was too strong for her at the start), iron-fortified multigrain cereal. (They need a source of iron after 6 mos.) Egg yolks or steamed egg. Sweet potato. Almond butter or peanut butter mixed into banana. Full-fat yogurt. (We were trying to focus on calorie dense foods to help baby make-up on the weight gain, but it's really open.) (Our pediatrician encouraged us to introduce allergens like egg and peanut butter before 6 mos., but you can check with your doctor.)

We mostly made our own purees, because it didn't feel like too much work. I'd make a batch of something and then freeze little portions in ice cube trays. Or with things like avocado, we'd just mash it up what we needed with a fork right before serving. Easy peasy.

But we still got some jars/pouches of baby food for back-up. And for meats. Meats are drier and don't puree well. (If I could do it over again, I'd probably dice it into a lentil/bean/vegetable stew and then puree that).

I feel like all the recipe books for this stage are basically page after page of the same formula:

1.) cook the fruit/vegetable (steam/braise/bake/roast)

2.) puree in a blender/put through a food mill, adding liquid (water, breastmilk, broth) if necessary. (Or in one case, "bone broth" + a source of fat.)

That said this book seems to be popular (checked out a lot). I also liked Baby Led Feeding by Jenna Helwig, though I felt like it was probably more helpful for older babies who are eating finger foods. Books are nice for getting out of your rut of things to puree.

When you get to introducing finger foods, there are two BLW books that are informative, the original Baby-Led Weaning by Gill Rapley, and the more recent Baby-Led Weaning by Teresa Pittman. A lot of overlap in content between the two. More about the hows and whys and what to expect when babies are learning to eat, not a recipe book. I think they helped give me patience toward the process.

Our experience, and the experience of some of the other moms I've met, is that YMMV with the BLW food advice. Some of the foods that are recommended my baby had trouble with, in one way or the other. So you'll have to figure out what works for your baby. (Baby hitting 9 months and being able to do pincer-grip has really opened up a lot of options.)

It's messy, but so fun to see their reactions to new foods and their preferences and "favorites" emerge. I hope you and Malcolm have fun with it!

Honestly this cookbook is amazing, it has tons of delicious meal ideas for baby and/or the whole family. I’m only at the 6 month purée stage but it’s been a great resource.

Mark Bittman wrote a great book about this idea...Vegan before 6

This is a cookbook from a Chef that operates a restaurant in my town.
http://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Sean-Brock/dp/1579654630

It's one of the few that I own, there are some very nice recipes. A lot of them vegetable based, there are also some nice cocktail recipes and dessert recipes.

If you'll be doing anything at all with the vines, From Vines to Wine is a really great book. I'm just finishing it up. It's very well written, and just comprehensive enough to give you a working foundation without overwhelming you.

No-oils vegan is a thing some people do.

http://www.amazon.com/Engine-Diet-Firefighters-Save-Your-Life-Cholesterol/dp/0446506699/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462415409&sr=1-1&keywords=engine+2+diet

http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Reverse-Heart-Disease-Nutrition-Based/dp/1583333002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462415364&sr=1-1&keywords=Esselstyn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_o4YBQPKtQ

Diagnosing people you don't know with mental illnesses over the internet is, at best, rude.

Northwest Foraging: The Classic Guide to Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest Foraging: 120 wild and flavorful edibles from Alaska blueberries to wild hazelnuts

FIELD GUIDE TO FORAGING IN THE NORTHWEST

The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. It has purees, finger foods, snacks, and full family meal ideas. I use it all the time, the puree recipes are pretty simple to make, yet also have interesting flavor combinations.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Baby-Toddler-Cookbook-Families/dp/1492677671?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-exp-a-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1492677671

Don't let people push you into baby led weaning if you don't want to do it. Purees are perfectly fine and healthy and your baby will learn to eat no matter what you do. You do whatever works best for you.

There's also a decent book called "Proof: the science of booze"

https://www.amazon.com/Proof-Science-Booze-Adam-Rogers/dp/0544538544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479327487&sr=8-1&keywords=science+of+alcohol

[Plants of Coastal British Columbia: Including Washington, Oregon and Alaska by Jim Pojar]
(https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1551055325/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1977604502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1594853665&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=ZE56QP0A00SH8K6G23SM)This book here is my holy bible for foraging and IDs. I know you are in Oregon, but I'm on Vancouver Island which is practically in the US and as west coast as it gets. Many of the plants growing where I am grow in parts of Oregon too. Consider fining this book or one similar. IMO a good Id book with images is the most important thing to carry with you (aside from gloves and a pocket knife).



Here are a few books I do not own but have read or heard people recommend.

Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore

Pacific Northwest Foraging by Douglas Deur

Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt to Plate by John Kallas

Mark Bittman is kinda awesome

I got mine used off amazon and it’s just called the Beer Making Book. Has 52 seasonal recipes

Brooklyn Brew Shop's Beer Making Book: 52 Seasonal Recipes for Small Batches https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307889203/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FHAtDbB8PRMN9

We definitely aren’t doing baby led weaning (I don’t think?). Basically I boil a chicken breast and then purée it in the blender with formula. She loves it! Although it does look super gross. We’ve also given her puréed salmon which she also loves... and looks even grosser.

We bought this cookbook which has been really helpful.

I've been doing a lot of BIAB 1 gallon recipes lately. It's fun to experiment and it's so cheap for the ingredients!

Highly recommend this book. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0307889203?pc_redir=1411852628&robot_redir=1

Learn how to properly roast a chicken. Zuni Cafe’s “Judy Bird” recipe is fool-proof.


Learn how to roast vegetables in your oven. Potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, parsnips, fennel, and hard winter squash benefit greatly from a spin through your 400F oven with lots of olive oil and sea salt.


Learn how to pan roast and make a pan sauce. This adapts well to chicken parts, steak, fish, pork chops, pork loin, etc. The internet is your friend, a few google searches should teach you this very simple technique.

There’s a great book that taught me some excellent techniques and how to use everything/make ingredients stretch. It’s called An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace


Good luck!!!

So, like I mentioned in the post, if I'm gonna be technical, this is maybe closer to an African-inspired braggot, or sorts. By nature, it's qualifiable to call it a "t'ella", which is an Ethiopian type of a beer. However, my main inspiration for this, beyond Black Panther, was "t'ej", which is kinda like an African mead.

On the other side of the spectrum, a "gruit" is a slightly more well known term. It refers to brewing with either no or minimal use of hops, in favor of brewing with herbs. Some good resources for that would be Against All Hops, which is written by Butch Heilshorn, the Headbrewer of Earth Eagle Brewing Co, who specializes in brewing gruits. I'd also say to check out The Homebrewer's Almanac, which is written by the owners of Foraged Brewing Co, and also focuses heavily on using botanical ingredients alongside traditional ones in brewing. Heck, it's a little more old school, but even The Homebrewer's Garden has some pretty good material in it for reference.

To break it all down: this beer was strongly inspired be African t'ej and t'ella, but to put it in some more familiar terms for EU/US readers, it can also be seen as a gruit, because I didn't use any hops in it either. The way it works out, you could probably say it falls under multiple umbrellas and however tried it could call it how they see fit. For me, this was totally experimental I don't have a neat little BJCP box to say "Mmmm, yes, right there. Number Xc. category."

Unless you meant the name of the beer, which is Mnyama T'ej, where "mnyama" itself would translate, loosely, to "black" in English. Also kinda means "beast" in Swahili, but I wasn't quite so sure how dark the finished product would be, what with a whole pound of roasted barley in it. Suffice it to say, the beer is more black in inspiration, rather than appearance.

Three of my favorite:

Identification: https://www.amazon.com/Plants-Pacific-Northwest-Coast-Pojar/dp/1772130087

Herbal wisdom: https://www.amazon.com/Medicinal-Plants-Pacific-Michael-Moore/dp/0890135398

Foraging/edibles: https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Northwest-Foraging-Flavorful-Blueberries/dp/1604693525

One of my frugal goals is to read, study, and live by An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with economy and grace (https://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Meal-Cooking-Economy-Grace/dp/1439181888/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543442484&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=an+everlasting+meal&dpPl=1&dpID=51dcbznjsFL&ref=plSrch)

We cook most meals at home, but we could definitely do better about minimizing waste while improving taste.

https://www.amazon.com/Vines-Wines-Complete-Growing-Grapes/dp/1580171052

I have found The Homebrewers Garden to be a pretty good resource for this kind of information. Does a nice job at combining gardening/growing tips and tricks with and how you can implement it all in your beer. It also has a full selection of recipes included in the book which utilize all of the home grown adjuncts that it highlights.

Along those lines, Brooklyn Brew Shop has a book with some great small batch recipes. Definitely worth checking out. I loved starting with their kit (for a batch) and then moving away from the kits but still using recipes before starting to make my own.

Adding to the site I have Martina's Sweet & Savoury Fat Bombsrecipe book and it's awesome.

I made a peanut butter porter and it turned out surprisingly well. Recipe can be found in Brooklyn Brew shops beer making book. Think the secret was using natural peanut butter, which separates. I was able to drain almost all of the head and equipment hurting oils and the result was amazing. I even had a German drink it and he only hated it a little.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

As far as food pairings look into a copy of the Flavor Bible. There’s also a similar book by them called What To Drink With What You Eat if you want to get into pairing basics as well.
As for plating, just look at nice cookbooks from restaurants and chefs, like The French Laundry,
Sean Brock,
Bluestem,
or basically any other example of food you want to produce. Follow the restaurants, go eat there if you can.

Also examine your platings from the perspective of the diner. Where is your eye drawn first? Is it the focal point or is your plating distracting from that?

'Becoming Vegetarian' - Melina & Davis

Found this to be a good book recommended to me here on reddit. Offers an unbiased look at our body's needs and how to fulfill them through a vegetarian diet.

Might I also recommend a different take on this, one that stems from balancing the many needs we have from our food - nutrition, convenience, social life, health/fitness and cost:

"Vegan Before 6" - Mark Bittman

When I finished watching this movie I said out loud, "I'm never eating meat again." Then I read The Engine 2 Diet and I've been vegan for 2 months now. I don't regret it in any way, and I've already dropped a decent amount of weight (without trying). I feel better, sleep better, and most importantly, think better. Hooray, anecdotal evidence.

My stuff were gifts actually. That being said, I know they were acquired at Wine Kits (as its right near our place). As for bottles, I bought $120 worth of Grolsch beer and have been reusing the bottles ever since (flip-tops, super easy to reseal). So far I've only made beer from kits (pre-made wort), but I want to venture in to realm of doing it from scratch. I got this book for xmas a couple years ago, and they explain the process really simply. http://www.amazon.ca/Brooklyn-Brew-Shops-Beer-Making/dp/0307889203 They even sell 1 gallon packages with everything you need at Indigo.

Good luck with training!

I would love to have this book, if it's still on sale. If not, this one also looks amazing. I would love to learn more about the science of cooking.

I definitely agree with that book recommendation. This is a good one too, by the same authors and also has the footnotes for scaling up to 5 gallons.

I really like http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Northwest-Foraging-flavorful-blueberries/dp/1604693525 Nice color pictures and descriptions. It's not field guide sized though.

Maybe this book written by vegan firefighter rip essylstn in texas may help. It talks aboit manliness and plant based diet and recipes are super simple. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0446506699/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485688488&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Engine+2&dpPl=1&dpID=51hyKFE9SuL&ref=plSrch

I remember seeing an incredibly strong vegetarian firefighter in the Forks Over Knives documentary. He had no problem finding good sources of protein for his diet. And it appears he has a book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0446506699?pc_redir=1404307160&robot_redir=1

It's in the preview of the book on Amazon

Page 58

While it won't help you convert down, I am using a book from the Brooklyn Brewshop that is designed for small batches. Amazon link.

Each recipe also gives instructions on how to make a 5 gallon batch if you want to go bigger.

I got that kit for my boyfriend last year, we really enjoyed how easy it was for two complete novices. We then bought this recipe book, which is really awesome after you want to try brewing without a pre-made mix. 52 small batch all-grain recipes, I'm brewing up the Winter Wheat right now!

Hah, that is fortuitous. That being said, I wouldn't exactly call myself a winemaker yet. I am like you in that regard! I just said wth and planted a bunch of grapes because I like wine and am just hoping that I can get a drinkable product!

The best piece of advice I can give you is to read. I have done a lot of that lately. My favorite three books on the subject are:

https://www.amazon.com/Vines-Wines-5th-Complete-Growing/dp/1612124380/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495465433&sr=8-1&keywords=from+vines+to+wines

https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Backyard-Vineyard-Step-Step/dp/1604692855/ref=pd_bxgy_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1604692855&pd_rd_r=GGTRVNRET3ZF1BVFRGQH&pd_rd_w=mHT9B&pd_rd_wg=NG0Ym&psc=1&refRID=GGTRVNRET3ZF1BVFRGQH

https://www.amazon.com/Homebuilt-Winery-Projects-Winemaking-Equipment/dp/1603429905/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1603429905&pd_rd_r=VJW281V3B49SSHRVTPND&pd_rd_w=5ERKw&pd_rd_wg=makHZ&psc=1&refRID=VJW281V3B49SSHRVTPND

I know that you can source grapes/grape juice from various places on the internet. I cannot speak to their quality. You might even be able to find someone in Texas who is growing and might sell you some. My guess is it is going to be the hot varietals down there! Given your background, I think you should figure it out in no time!

I finished with a bachelor's degree in food science at Oregon State University in the U.S. It was fantastic. There are so many directions you can go with food science. OSU's program focuses on the food chemistry side as opposed to the nutrition side of things. There are students specializing in beer, wine, cheese, meat and food in general. Each specialty means different classes. If you're into wine, you study varying degrees of viticulture. If you're studying meat, you get into farming. Students and professors have a vast array of cross-disciplinary experiences. Another great thing about food science is industry involvement. Before you even leave college you can meet industry members through your local IFT chapter. That really provides another dimension to your education if you can take advantage of. I love asking people about their jobs and what they're doing. The thing that pulled me in initially was the high rate of employment after school. I've been out two years and am working as a research technician at a manufacturing plant. I love it.
Edit: Oof, guess I went off on a tangent there. The thing I find most motivating are books like this The kitchen as a laboratory and this Molecular Gastronomy

A friend gave me a book of recipes that goes up to 12+ months, the first one I used with meat was a chicken(4oz) + sweet potato(medium) + apple dish. Chunk everything up, saute 1/4 cup of chopped onions in 1tbsp of butter first until they get see-through, toss the chicken in the onions until the outside is all cooked, dump the sweet potato and apple chunks in the pan, add a cup of chicken broth (or just water), raise to boil then lower to simmer for 15 minutes.

This one is cool because you can blast it with a food processor to be more or less puree-ish over time. Currently I don't make it as fully puree anymore and my kid (9mo) can chew on little chicken bits.

Also assuming you have introduced various veggies you can just make stews with them plus whatever meat. Today I made a beef stew with potatos, carrots, onions and beef in the slow cooker. If she was still littler I would pulverize it in the food processor but since she is good at handfeeding herself and the veggies are soft, I will just make pieces smaller by hand when I feed her, and pull the beef chunks into strings.

Edit: This is the book.

Hey! You can grab it in Australia, however, there's no discount promo :/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Keto-Vegan-Plant-Based-Ketogenic-Nutrition-ebook/dp/B07MB87RSN

Happy birthday /u/plungerwhisk ! May you get some delicious whiskey in either bourbon or single malt form.

My recommendations include Boehme Brandy & Cherry Filled Chocolates and [Proof: The Science of Booze (kindle edition)] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9FYSZ0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=P537YS3MPGV3&coliid=I29EV954F0T7Z2)

However, I do not need anything. If you pick this, would you please make a donation to an animal shelter? Thanks. -C

Here is a whole book dedicated to this subject-It changed my whole way of thinking about cooking:

http://www.amazon.com/An-Everlasting-Meal-Cooking-Economy/dp/143918187X

This is a great cookbook as well for getting into the routine of using food wisely while you're cooking, and using what you have instead of following recipes. http://www.amazon.com/dp/143918187X/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item#reader_143918187X

When I was in my 20's I made a lot of simple things like stir fries, chili, curries using pre-made sauces. If you're not confident with cutting things up yet, you can buy pre-cut vegetables in great portion sizes at the market. Buy yourself or ask for a good knife and knife sharpener, and a wooden cutting board. Avoid fancy kitchen gadgets.

The big thing? Don't be afraid to fail. I think that's especially hard for ACoNs, but really, the world won't end if you screw up some meals. You eat more than once a day, so there's lots of opportunity to keep trying. Learn some basics, and just keep adding ingredients and recipes to your repertoire. And if your boyfriend knows how to cook, get him to show you a few things! Cook together! I did this a ton with my husband in the early days of our relationship, and it's awesome to see how far we've come since then. We have a local cooking school where they have date nights and you make a whole meal's worth of recipes. Great fun, and an excellent way to learn.

The Science of Good Cooking

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Cooking-Cooks-Illustrated-Cookbooks/dp/1933615982

The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Laboratory-Reflections-Traditions-Perspectives/dp/0231153449

I was intimidated initially too, but it was just ridiculously easy. From opening the cookbook to putting away the last container was 2 hours, once a week. I saved hundreds. I started at 6 months with pureed sweet potato (clean it, stab it with a fork, wrap in aluminum foil, oven 400 for 45 mins, throw in blender with some water to desired texture=baby food for a week) then got braver and tried most of the recipes in this book and stored them in these things. BPA free, freezer and microwave safe, 2 oz containers. Good luck!!

Yeah. I am not broke, I don't need to stretch every dollar, and I don't want to account for every meals price per calorie. But I don't have infinite dollars and time to do silly foodporn over-the-top stuff. (not that it isn't fun, but that's a hobby).

For instance, roasting a chicken has turned out to be super-freaking-simple, to the point that it's a lazy night go-to. It takes wall-clock time, but very little interaction.

I can suggest reading "The Everlasting Meal" which is about "cooking gracefully" - where you make use of what you have. It's written fluffily, but can give you a good idea of week-long cooking, where you make a chicken tonight, stock tomorrow, soup out of part of it, risotto out of another part, and so on.

Chaining meals is an interesting approach to cooking for a week. The book also talks about how most every culture has a way to use leftovers that make them much more interesting (fried rice, quiche, bread soup, and so on). This alone has opened my eyes to how much food I waste.

Anyway, it's an interesting idea to start a new subreddit. Perhaps...

Book recommendation.

https://www.amazon.com/Engine-Diet-Firefighters-Save-Your-Life-Cholesterol/dp/0446506699

These firefighters did it and didn't make excuses either. Hope you find your way!