Johnson - For the Health of It: The Beginners Guide to Recipe Creation

Honestly, the list of people that deserve a special thanks for helping this cookbook become a reality is long enough that it could a be a book in and of itself. For the sake of brevity, I simply could not include everyone. But make no mistake, I'm grateful for each and every one of you.

But in the little space that I do have, I have to start with my roommates over the last several yearsElan, Sam, Nick, Brady, Matt Wilde, Fenton, Parker, Peter, Jared, Scott, Nate, Josh, Matt Hurst, Brock, and especially Aldenfor putting up with a kitchen full of my appliances, smoke-filled air from my cookery, blaring smoke detectors, and that time I started a fire in the dumpster. Also a special thanks to Danielle, Lindsey, Kami, Todd, Hanna, Tanner, and Aubrey for always being willing to try my culinary creationseven if sometimes they were a little "different." Without all of you, I never would have been able to practice the principles in this book.

Also, thank you to Taylor Street. Honestly, Taylor, you deserve so much more than a simple thank you for all of your help with the booknot only for your photos, but also your time, effort, and patience during the entire food photography process. You truly brought this book to life.

Hannah and Sarah Ballard get a special shout out, too. If it weren't for you two, 60 french macarons, and that randomnot to mention mildly crazystop at a gas station in Nephi, Utah, this book would have never happened. Also thank you to my brother, Preston, for getting the aforementioned macarons for free from his buddy that works at a French catering company in Las Vegas.

I'd also like to thank John Romaniello and Adam Bornstein for not only inspiring me to take my work outside of the gym, but showing me howespecially you, Adam; thank you for personally helping me become a better writer.

A very special thank you also goes out to my Aunt Carri, who, years ago, gave me my first apron. Sincerely, Carri, without you I wouldn't be a fraction of the chef I am today.

And a truly heartfelt thank you to my parents, Vaughn and Karlyn Johnson. Your support, love, and example have shaped me into the person I am today and opened my eyes to life's limitless possibilities. Words cannot aptly express my gratitude.

Have you ever burned something you were cooking? Maybe it was a light char, or maybe it was a full-on fire department emergency. Well, I am going to let you in on a secret: I have too. In one cooking incident, I accidentally started a fire inside of a large dumpster in the rain. Yeah, I know what it is like to burn your food. In fact, I have determined that the piercing beep of a kitchen smoke detector is one of the most annoying sounds in the world. It just adds insult to injury. I am already well aware that my chicken-turned-charcoal has smoke billowing forth from the oven; I dont need a constant shrieking reminder from the ceiling-mounted detector.

Honestly, weve all been there. Maybe you havent started a fire in a dumpster like I have, but we have all ruined some dish we were trying to make. It can be discouraging. But I offer encouraging news: regardless of any kitchen fiascos in the past, you can cook. Those people who claim that they cannot cookthey can. Absolutely anyone and everyone can cook. Oftentimes, they are simply held back.

Let me illustrate:

One day, a man was passing some elephants. He suddenly stopped. He was confused that these massive creatures were only held captive by a small piece of rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. Just rope. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals simply stood there and made no attempt to break free. Well, the trainer said, when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, its enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.

The man was amazed. At any given moment, these animals could break free from their bonds, but because they believed they couldnt, they were stuck right where they were.

How many of us go through life like the elephants, hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

Who cares if you messed up a recipe before or cooked something that didnt taste phenomenal? I certainly dont, the meat and potatoes in your pantry dont, so neither should you. Dont label yourself based on past experience. Every person is capable of becoming the person they dream of being. And if your dream person is someone who knows how to cook a countless number of healthy and delicious meals, you are reading the right book.

Likewise, if understanding principles behind crafting tasty meals that both nourish and strengthen your body is not your cup of tea (the first of many food puns), or if you arent interested in learning how to create your own healthy recipes, you can put the book down and walk away with a fun new anecdote about elephants. But if you do want to achieve something more in the kitchen, turn the page and lets get cooking.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Maimonides

This well-known proverb is the inspiration behind this book. My goal is not to merely give you recipes, but to teach you how to create your own delicious and nutritious meals.

Most conventional cookbooks provide an overwhelming number of recipes. The sad truth is that most of us never actually try all of the recipes in a cookbook. Usually, we only attempt a handful of recipes from an entire book. Of those recipes, maybe a couple of dishes are made a second time. Only on rare occasion will someone find a recipe in a cookbook that becomes a staple in his or her cooking repertoire. My point is this: you can search an entire cookbook and wind up with only a few fish.

The best recipes are not found on the pages of a cookbook but are developed through experience and exchanged between friends and family. Growing up, some of our favorites recipes could only be found scribbled on a ratty old note card, often proceeded by the name of the dishs creator. To me, Thanksgiving simply isnt Thanksgiving without Ann Washburns rolls. The experience needed to create timeless recipes is not beyond the scope of anybodys capabilities. In fact, it simply takes the knowledge of fundamental culinary principles.

I want you to learn these principles and how to apply them using a simple four-step method. The steps are as simple as this:

1. picking what you want to eat
2. putting your dish together using principles shared in this book
3. preparing it