Apocalypse Chow
I recently borrowed a book called, Apocalypse Chow: How to Eat Well When the Power Goes Out by Jon Robertson with Robin Robertson.
I was unimpressed. Why? Because what I was expecting and hoping for was a book of recipes that didn't rely entirely on someone having access to a source of heat potent enough to cook food. Every single recipe in here relies on having a heat source, and that sucks. Not to say that the recipes are bad -- they're likely really good. It's just... they all require heat, which is kinda difficult and potentially dangerous when you have a power outage and don't have access to, say, a single-burner butane stove-top, like the authors. Or a barbecue grill. Or a wood fire. Because you live in an apartment with no patio or balcony. And because, say, it's winter, so you can't easily take your camp stove outside to cook a meal because it's -10C out. And blizzardy.
Very very frustrating.
What I was hoping for was how to eat well with NO heat source. Like a raw-food, grain-soaking-style cuisine that didn't ALSO rely on things like blenders, food processors and dehydrators, which is what most of the raw-food cookbook recipes rely on.
Also frustrating.
So the search continues on finding a resource on how to eat well when not only the power is out, but there is no safe way to heat one's food.
Besides, if I have heat, I can come up with my own fancy-schmancy recipes, using the books I already have or taking a walk down the grocery-store aisles that have things like kalamata olives and capers and artichoke hearts and such.
I was unimpressed. Why? Because what I was expecting and hoping for was a book of recipes that didn't rely entirely on someone having access to a source of heat potent enough to cook food. Every single recipe in here relies on having a heat source, and that sucks. Not to say that the recipes are bad -- they're likely really good. It's just... they all require heat, which is kinda difficult and potentially dangerous when you have a power outage and don't have access to, say, a single-burner butane stove-top, like the authors. Or a barbecue grill. Or a wood fire. Because you live in an apartment with no patio or balcony. And because, say, it's winter, so you can't easily take your camp stove outside to cook a meal because it's -10C out. And blizzardy.
Very very frustrating.
What I was hoping for was how to eat well with NO heat source. Like a raw-food, grain-soaking-style cuisine that didn't ALSO rely on things like blenders, food processors and dehydrators, which is what most of the raw-food cookbook recipes rely on.
Also frustrating.
So the search continues on finding a resource on how to eat well when not only the power is out, but there is no safe way to heat one's food.
Besides, if I have heat, I can come up with my own fancy-schmancy recipes, using the books I already have or taking a walk down the grocery-store aisles that have things like kalamata olives and capers and artichoke hearts and such.