Raichlen - Man made meals: the essential cookbook for guys

MAN MADE MEALS
THE ESSENTIAL COOKBOOK FOR GUYS
STEVEN RAICHLEN

WORKMAN PUBLISHING, NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT 2014 BY STEVEN RAICHLEN

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproducedmechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopyingwithout written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.

BARBECUE! BIBLE is a registered trademark of Steven Raichlen and Workman Publishing Co., Inc. WORKMAN is a registered trademark of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-0-7611-6644-3

Cover and interior design by Jean-Marc Troadec
Cover photograph by Jeffery Salter
Food photography by Lucy Schaeffer
Food styling by Chris Lanier
Prop styling by Sara Abalan
Additional thank-yous and photography credits on .

Steven Raichlen is available for select speaking engagements.
Please contact .

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In memory of Peter Workman Publisher. Mentor. Friend.

Steven Raichlen, Americas master griller (Esquire), is the James Beard and IACP Awardwinning author of How to Grill, The Barbecue! Bible, Planet Barbecue!, and other internationally bestselling cookbooks. Hes also written forand been featured inThe New York Times, Esquire, and the major food magazines. Please join him online at BarbecueBible.com

This book came to life at a meeting with Peter Workman at the offices of Workman Publishing. Prophetically, my longtime editor, Suzanne Rafer, was away on jury duty. So it was just us guys. Having taught millions of men how to grill, Peter reasoned, we should do a book to teach them other forms of cooking. And being Peter Workman, he wanted a big book, full of big-flavored food and actionable information.

The idea struck a chord, for while most people know me for the Barbecue! Bible cookbook series, I have a background in classic French cuisine (and French literature, but thats another story). And so Man Made Meals came to life.

Peter passed away before publication. Ive tried to infuse the book with his big-hearted spirit. We miss him. No one will ever completely fill his shoes, but other longtime Workmanites are steering his ship to new horizons.

The most gratifying aspect of writing a book is thanking the people who helped make it possible. First, my extraordinary editor, Suzanne Rafer, who never met a manuscript she couldnt improve. (This year marks two decades of working together.) Production editor Carol White, copy editor Barbara Mateer, and assistant editor Erin Klabunde made sure I dotted my is and crossed my ts. Barbara Peragine and Julie Primavera herded the manuscript through production.

Art director Jean-Marc Troadec came up with the handsome cover and page design. Photo director Anne Kerman, photographer Lucy Schaeffer, food stylist Chris Lanier, and prop stylist Sara Abalan filled the book with hunger-inducing photos.

On the digital side, Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, Kate Travers, and Julia Langer Warren masterminded the website (barbecuebible.com). Selina Meere, Courtney Greenhalgh, and Jessica Wiener use publicity and marketing to help spread the gospel of guy cooking far and wide, as does international sales director Kristina Peterson. Walter Weintz, Page Edmunds, Jenny Mandel, Pat Upton, and a great sales team keep the sales engine humming.

My assistant and friend Nancy Loseke assisted in all matters editorial and culinary. Stepdaughter and dietician Betsy provided nutritional advice, while stepson Jake provided the perspective of a Brooklyn chef restaurateur. Son-in-law Gabriel rocked the bar shaker. Ella, Mia, and Julian reminded us of what really matters in life. Barbara kept me focused, organized, and on message, while juggling the challenging roles of being my in-house editor, consigliere, and wife. As always, all good that happens to me starts with her.

Finally, a big thanks to all you guys out there who expanded my world from the grill to the kitchen. Its back to smoking and grilling in the next bookI promise.

Steven Raichlen
Miami, Florida

Call it culinary literacy for men. Or simply what every guy should know about cooking. There are certain tasks involving food a man should know how to do without hesitation: shuck an oyster and steam a lobster, for example; grill a steak; roast a rack of lamb; and cook up a pot of kick-ass chili. Every well-informed male should know the men proper way to stir a martini, carve a turkey, smoke ribs, make pancakes for his kids, and clinch a romantic dinner with a rich chocolate dessert. But, first and foremost, a guy should know how to get himself dinner (or any meal) on the table without having to rely on take-out.

You should know how to execute kitchen tasks with confidence, aplomb, andI dare sayshowmanship. The act should not only assuage your hunger and bring you respect but should give you satisfaction and pleasure.

This book will show you how. Step by step, Im going to teach you everything you need to know about cooking: starting with the basics, like how to read a recipe, navigate the stove, and stock the fridge and pantry. Im going to teach you how to prepare great meals for yourself, your buddies, your girlfriend or wife, your immediate or extended family, and how to throw a killer cocktail party.

Im going to teach you how to stew, roast, braise, saut, and flamb like a professional, and of course, how to fire up a grill and smoker. Ill show you the proper way to choose and wield a knife, heat a wok, handle a cocktail shaker, and how to maximize the use of your kitchen no matter its size.

A quick word about what you wont find in Man Made Meals. Im not going to tell you how to cook a pot roast on your car engine or poach a whole salmon in your dishwasher. This book is about the cool, smart things guys can do to make really great-tasting foodwithout sensationalism or weirdness for the sake of shock value. Nor will you find in these pages doughnuts, sushi, or cupcakes. Sure, you can make doughnuts or sushi at home, but the pros do it better at bakeries and restaurants. As for cupcakes, they arent really guy food.

Whether youre single or married, in college or retired, on a budget or on the board of directors, you have the right, need, and desire to eat well. This book will help you do it. Part cookbook, part textbook, part technical manual, and part guidebook to the world of male cooking, Man Made Meals is a gospel of great eatsfilled with indispensable skills, cool tools, engaging stories, actionable information, and a terrific repertory of big-flavored, foolproof dishes. Were going to have fun. Were going to kick butt. And by the time were done, youll definitely know your way around the kitchen.

This book is based on ten simple principles.

1 | Knowledge is power. The best way to eat well is to cook well. And the more you know about ingredients and fundamental cooking techniques, the better youll perform in the kitchen. Knowledge coupled with practice brings competence, and competence in the kitchen brings pleasure.