(See below for my giveaway of a signed copy of this book)
I was recently sent a couple of copies of a new cookbook, Recipes & Tips for Sustainable Living with Stacy Harris from GameAndGarden.com in order to review them for her release date, today, 29 October. Both my wife and I went over the books, and we’ve found them to be rather refreshing, having both cooking information as well as self-reliance information. Let’s call it one of the best “Prepper Cookbooks” that we’ve seen.
Recipes & Tips for Sustainable Living with Stacy Harris covers topics from growing produce, raising livestock, and harvesting wild edibles and game to preserving in a variety of methods and of course, cooking them. There is quite a bit of information packed into the 144 pages. As well as having plenty of good, solid information, it is also chock full of quality pictures illustrating the techniques and end results.
I only have two issues with this book, and both are based on my life experiences. The first is the line “If a walk-in cooler is not available” in speaking about aging venison, strikes me as borderline pretentious. I take offense in my poor upbringing, apparently. I only know of three families that have walk-in coolers, and all of them are commercial meat processors. The best we had growing up was a spring cellar with water running across the floor all year long. She does go on to offer an alternative method using a refrigerator though, so that does ease my pain a bit. I guess I’m just sensitive to not having all the opportunity that having money offers in life. We were poor and made do with what we had.
The second issue is that there are soooo many recipes that are not Paleo friendly. TASTY looking recipes, too, dammit. Again, this is MY problem, I am the outsider here, I understand that. It’s just that the pictures of some of the dishes REALLY made me want to fall off the Paleo wagon and eat them…and lots of each. This complaint is merely me fighting with my own choices, not the fault of the author. Just trying to be honest.
Those pictures REALLY make the book pop. No really. I want to lick the pictures…scratch n taste should be a valid book line…
And she knows the secret to a magnificent sandwich – top it with a fried egg. (No, really, try it, you’ll be AMAZED!)
While all of the recipes are not Paleo-approved, there are still plenty for me to try out, and we are diligently working through them. And while some of the recipes call for wild game we are not able to find, there is also a very handy list of alternatives and substitutions included – a VERY well thought out addition.
Also included are a multitude of tips, tricks, and how-to’s that fit right in with what I write about regularly. In fact, referring to it as a “cookbook” really doesn’t do it any justice. The wife and I agree, this belongs on our permanent bookshelf, right next to Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits, The Ashley Book of Knots, and Back to Basics (a book that Recipes & Tips for Sustainable Living with Stacy Harris reminds me of quite a bit, only with far less cooking).
Overall, I’m definitely calling this a winner. I was given two copies, and out of greed, will be keeping one for myself. However, if you are interested in winning a copy for yourself, write in a comment below, and include an email address. On November 10th, I’ll randomly pick one of the names and send your your very own, signed copy of Recipes & Tips for Sustainable Living with Stacy Harris.
If you like wild game and wild edibles, I know you will appreciate it as much as I did. It is available in paperback as well as Kindle edition.
More information about the author:
Find her on on Facebook:
Stacy Harris
Game and Garden
The list price of the book is $25.99, but is currently available in paperback at Amazon for $18.98 and in Kindle format for $12.99.
Don’t forget to comment below for a change of your own copy!
Peace,
db
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Nice review, db&eb! I’ll be looking for the kindle edition! Keep writing, I always look forward to it:)
This sounds like an awesome reference book that everyone needs to read. I want to be an ant, and I wish more people would too. 🙂
Sounds like a book that would go right next to Back to the Basics and Teaming With Microbes on my shelf!
Thanks for the review db. I have been reading some of the stuff on-line that Stacy Harris posts and wandering if her books would be good enough to buy. I like to consider myself a good cook but when it comes to wild game I am a newbie. By the way… I don’t own a walk-in cooler either (grin). It sure would come in handy, however, when we butcher our pigs and deer.
😛
Finally thought I would let you know about the Everglades tomato seeds you sent me. They grew like weeds! I didn’t even separate the seeds out – I just planted them paper towel and all. I don’t like tomatoes but I love these. When I’m outside I grab a few and pop them in my mouth. Delicious! I’m saving seeds now and sharing with some friends. I still have plenty on the vine and hope we don’t get any freezes anytime soon. Thanks for the website.
I thought a walk in cooler was a fridge I could have my youngest kid climb into to get stuff from the back? LOL, thanks for the contest!
LOL!
I am very excited about this book, and although I love eating the tasty tasty wild animals I am new to cooking them, usually I just have some other fabulous chef take pity on me. I see what you mean about the pictures, when I looked on amazon I got lost in a daydream about smelling and eating those delicious squash boats :). Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the great review! I appreciate it. I love your articles! Oh, I would like to say in my defense, we do not have a walk in cooler either. I put that in the book because many would say the best way to age a deer is by using a walk in cooler. We use our refrigerator and I think that I talk about that in the book. We have homemade bins that we drilled holes in the bottom of and then place that plastic bin into another bin that has holes on the side and top of it, but not in the bottom of that one. We place our venison on a cooling rack inside the bin so that air can move all around it. I am sorry if it seemed like we had a walk in cooler and that I was thinking everyone else should have one. We are just common people trying to live self-sufficient lives. We would like to build a homemade smokehouse though. If we do, I will let you know and probably will give instructions on building one.
Well, I’m happy you stopped by, happy you cleared up the walk in freezer issue, and more importantly, happy that you included me in reviewing your book.
In this day and age, ANYONE can write and get published (I’m hoping to do it myself), without any regard to quality. For example, the 299 days series is a complete ripoff (in my opinion), riding on the prepper wave. It is a decent storyline, but it is 10 “books” that run together as chapters, each costing about $10 (for the Kindle edition, hard copies are almost 50% more). $100 to read a single story? BS, I say. Your book offers good information, fantastic pictures, and is reasonably priced.
I am a huge fan of value for my money, and Recipes & Tips for Sustainable Living with Stacy Harris this is just that.
When are you writing a Paleo version 🙂
Also, don’t think that just because you commented, I’m including your name in the contest… you already have a copy 😛
Sounds like a good book to add to the library….check me off as another w/o a walk in fridge…
🙂
love to win for my son who loves to cook thanks for the giveaway 🙂
I’ll go ahead and throw my hat in the ring for your giveaway. If I win, though, I’ll happily pay for the shipping to Australia!
Walk-in coolers aren’t real common here in Australia, either, although some farms do have them. Sometimes people will hang game in the coolest spot they have (under the house, or in the very back of a brick garage), wrapped in wet hessian (burlap).
I’m jealous of the poms (and Americans further north than you!) who seem to be able to just hang game, sausages, hams, etc in their sheds for half the year. I suppose there has to be some benefit to colder climates! That and apples!
Googled Stacy’s book to read some reviews and was pleased to find your blog. Don’t want to give Stacy too hard of a time, but at 52, I’ve never met anyone with a walk in cooler. 🙂 That said, I would love having a copy of her book. It looks beautiful and I would love to read/learn more about preparing wild game.
I hope you win 🙂
YOU are the winner!
Drop me an email with your address please!